AutoSimSport Magazine, Volume 5, Issue 2

Volume 5 Number 2

TH KAEMMER IRACING WIVolume 5 Number 1 RFACTOR2 WITH CAMAJ IOPENER WITH LÜRLING

SUPERCAR CHALLENGE PREVIEW

LEGENDARY CODER ED GRABOWSKI LOU MAGYAR MODS HIS G25 TO A PRO LEVEL FOR LESS THAN $700 WE TALK TO FIA‐GT STARS KARL WENDLINGER, MARC HENNERICI, AND TIM MULLEN PLUS RAHEL FREY

AND SO MUCH MORE IN YOUR SUMMER SIZZLING 200 PAGE ISSUE

Credits

3

Editor‐In‐Chief Lx Martini Executive Editors Jon Denton/Bob Simmerman Business/Website/Advertising Lou Magyar/John Gregorio Editor‐at‐Large Sergio Bustamante Contributing Editors Steve Smith/Aris Vasilakos Corporate Relations Jon Denton Community Relations Bob Simmerman Art Mike Crick/Julian Dyer Layout/Design Lx Martini

Contributors Fabrice Offranc/Andrew Tyler Björn Erik Hagen/Magnus Tellbom/Jiminee Smith/ Gary Poon/Luisa Ghibaudo/ Spadge Fromley/Simon Croft/Selena Horrell/Sandeep Banerjee Photo Editor Oliver Day Logos/Design www.graphical‐dream.com Contributor Relations Lx Martini/Jon Denton Merchandising Lou Magyar French Editor Christophe Galleron Italian Editor DrivingItalia.net

AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC is an independent online magazine, produced monthly, that covers the exciting sport and hobby of simulated racing.

AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC covers sim‐racing by focusing on every area that defines the sport/hobby including hardware, software, and competition.

AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC maintains an equal distance to every entity with which it conducts relationships including developers, software and hardware producers, and the “community”.

AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC will always defend and claim the right to free speech, and will also include editorials which some may deem to be controversial

or even offensive, provided that there is a factual basis that underpins the content.

AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC believes and will conduct itself within two defining concepts: • Integrity • Independence Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the writers/contributors or other affiliates, and all content is copyright AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC unless otherwise stated. All photos are used by permission. Should you feel your rights have been violated, please feel free to contact AUTOSIMSPORT Media LLC through its website at: www.autosimsport.net., or email autosimsport. Not responsible for contents of linked sites …

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Table of Contents

SUPERCAR CHALLENGE PREVIEW

COVER STORY

60

Jon Denton finds a sim on the console … and it’s really all that …

EDWARD GRABOWSKI

SPECIAL FEATURES

50

INTERVIEWS 36

Jon Denton sits with Dave Kaemmer as iRacing celebrate their first year …

RFACTOR 2 & SUPERLEAGUE WITH GJON CAMAJ 67

‘AUF WIEDERSEHEN’ OSCHERSLEBEN

doing most of the talking!

Marco La Mura and Uwe Schürkamp sit with Wendlinger and co.

IOPENER’S FIRST FORAY INTO SIM‐RACING IS IN SIGHT 71

LIME ROCK PARK

87

AUTOSIMSPORT sits with Andy Lurling to discover precisely what

Ivan Askew takes a walk on a rainy day in June

iOpener‐enabled will mean for SimBin’s new sim …

FANTASY FORMULA FOR VGP3 SUCCESS 112

THE CODE OF THE CELLS AND OTHER MYSTERIES 88

Andrew Tyler finds a lot to love, and tussles with KERS and J‐

Bob Simmerman sits down with Niels Heusinkveld—and yes, he’s

Dampers

quite smart …

BOB THE TRACK BUILDER 120

79

Ivan Askew speaks to grant caron, a study in committment

Simon Croft sits with Brendon Pywell whose track building

BJORN’S DREAM 131

application changed the world

Bob Simmerman goes into the depths of a man’s dreams … and

REVIEWS—HARDware PROFESSIONAL FORCE FOR THE G25: G25‐E MOD 144

REGULAR FEATURES

5

8

31 Spadge Fromley prattles on about stuff … and stuff Force‐Feedback

32 Toolbox

77 As The Wheels Turn 24 COLUMNS 5th Column

182 Simulating Reality (no, really)

Lou Magyar on ARC_Team’s G25 Force‐Feedback Clean‐up Mod …

Jon Denton on the state of our virtual world

FOOTING THE BILL: G25 PAD

GPLegacy

IRACING VBOX TELEMETRY CONVERTER 136 iRacing has no telemetry yet: but there are solutions, as Bob Simmerman demonstrates …

GOING BACK IN CIRCLES 139 Our new writer Sandeep Banerjee gets his feet wet by giving us the low‐down on iRacing’s NASCAR ladder … Welcome Sandeep!

AUTOSIMSPORT sits down with ISI’s Gjon Camaj—and lands up

comes out excited!

Ivan Askew speaks to the man who coded Grand Prix World

HAULIN’ IRACER 125

A YEAR WITH IRACING

152

HeadOpEd News Fromadge

190

191

Lou Magyar mods his pedals with Niels Heusinkveld’s nifty invention

Sergio Bustamante

FROM SIMSOX TO REDSOX & BACK: SIMBOOTS 157

The Dent

Bob Simmerman dons a pair of pro sim‐racing socks and finds

Jon Denton’s vodka diaries

comfort and speed …

Magnus Opus

REVIEWS—SOFTware VOLVO THE GAME 167

Magnus Tellbom wears his helmet and steps into the minefield

Elliot Earle on SimBin’s free game: English professors, take note!

Jiminee Smith on iRacing’s needs—or maybe his …

TRUCK RACING BY RENAULT 171

Checkered Flag

Bob Simmerman and his six‐wheel drift

The ones that missed the cut

GRAND PRIX 4—A VISTA REUNION 178

SimSmith

194 199

200

Bob Simmerman reminds us why Crammond remains a legend …

4

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

HeadOpEd

LxMartini

5

The Lotus 79: On A Wing And A Prayer Readers of this magazine will recall that last year Steve Smith (he who penned the greatest manual of all time, the one that shipped with Grand Prix Legends) re‐edited that manual to include the missing Ferrari‐text from the original exclusively for AUTOSIMSPORT. In an article that ran with that event, Steve also noted that Papyrus had indeed discussed a sequel to GPL, and that it would be set during the ground‐effects era of the late 1970s‐ early ‐1980s. It should come then as no surprise then that Dave Kaemmer’s first Formula One car in a decade should be none other than the seminal Lotus 79, the car that reshaped the entire sport, and whose legacy defined one of the most deadly eras in motor‐sport.

Those who are unfamiliar with the Lotus 79 can discover all about it by downloading AUTOSIMSPORT’’s ‘GP79’ rFactor manual: Those too lazy to do that—and who do not know the history of this car—should know this: It secured Mario Andretti his first (and only) world championship; it used ‘skirts’ below the sideboards in order to create a vacuum under the car thereby making it, in effect, nothing more than a ‘wingcar’; it heralded the dawn of what came to be known as the ground‐ effects era, which would last all of four years until these monstrous cars were banned at the end of the 1982 season, by which time they were running with turbos pushing out over 1,000BHP and cornering at speeds so fast that drivers were literally passing out from the G‐forces. At Brazil in 1982, Piquet fell unconscious on the podium from the sheer exertion: His team‐mate Patrese had pulled out half way through the race when he felt himself passing out behind the wheel. World champions Lauda and Hunt, meanwhile, had turned their backs on the sport, and from cars that had become insanely dangerous killing machines: By the end of 1982, when the skirts were banned, Patrick Depailler and Gilles Villeneuve were dead, Didier Pironi was crippled for life, and accidents throughout that season had demonstrated to all concerned that only disaster lay in pursuing Colin Chapman’s genial idea that was born with the Lotus 79.

And now we get to drive it. In our exclusive interview with Dave Kaemmer in this month’s issue, you will read how the

www.autosimsport.net

historics run the Lotus without skirts, but that the one we will be treated to in iRacing will be with the skirts fully‐attached.

And that makes me think we’d best have our virtual attachments fully, erm, attached as well, because driving these cars fast means signing the ultimate pact with the devil: You see, the faster you go, the better these cars handle since they depend on air being sucked‐up under the car which will—via the Venturi effect (calm down!)—allow faster cornering (hence why most would have no front wing by the early 1980s). If you have the balls to enter a turn faster than your brain allows, chances are some magic under the car will suck you down and keep you off the wall.

If, that is, your suspension is strong enough to handle the crushing forces at work (Arnoux’s Renault couldn’t, in 1982, and he had a massive shunt), and your chassis is rigid enough to withstand the suction (the Lotus 80’s wasn’t, and it was a spectacular failure). Insane, yes, but by the time you read this, the Lotus will have been out for five days, and we will all—one hopes—understand what it was like to drive, literally, on a wing and a prayer. Consider: By 1980, a Williams lapped Silverstone an astonishing seven seconds faster than the fastest lap from 1978.

Why So Late?

Basically because we’re broke, and I can’t be bothered to loan this magazine any more cash to keep going. Times are hard for everyone, and certainly for our readers: One million downloads since January of ’05, and 24 donations in all that time. But hey, I’m not whining, people pay for what they like, and ignore what they don’t: If you do want this magazine to continue, we need your help. If you don’t, ignore my nonsense and enjoy your summer issue of AUTOSIMSPORT. Please remember, though, that we survive only through your readership, and your donations.

We believe in offering you, our reader, as much as we can, not only in terms of content (200‐plus pages), but also competitions and other goodies: We try our very best to entertain and to inform you once every sixty (or so!) days, but now it’s your turn to help us. If you enjoy this magazine, please think about giving because we too need a bailout!

Volume 5 Number 2

6

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

7

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Red Bull Racing Confirms rFactorPro: Chris Hoyle’s rFactor2‐Based Tech’ Is Now Used By Four F1 Teams: rFactor2 Seen As Beneficiary

NEWS comes

AutoSimSport AutoSimSport can now reveal that Red Bull Racing Formula One team is using rFactorPro: Chris Hoyle’s rFactor‐based professional simulation technology offered a technical solution to Red Bull Racing in just five weeks, interfacing to their chassis code, motion hardware, and track‐side systems (McLaren Electronics’ ATLAS, and System Monitor).

This brings the number of confirmed F1 teams that are using rFactorPro for driver‐in‐ the‐loop simulation to three, with a fourth F1 team using rFactorPro for purely data visualisation.

Courtesy of

VirtualR.net

VirtualR.net is your one‐stop site for all your sim‐ racing news. And now you can get your news on RSS, or email. Never miss a moment.

‘rFactorPro allows us to run our own vehicle model into which we have invested many man years.’

—Adrian Newey With an in‐season testing ban in place in F1, the simulator offers teams the opportunity to test new engineering developments and aero packages, as well as assisting with driver training and setup evaluation. RBR’s Christian Horner stated he was, ‘delighted with {Chris Hoyle’s} company’s commitment and their products,’ while Adrian Newey explained how, ‘rFactorPro allows us to run our own vehicle model into which we have invested many man years.’

One of the key benefits of rFPro, AutoSimSport has been told, is how it will wrap around an existing vehicle model. ‘So far we have successfully wrapped models developed in C++, Simulink, and Dymola, and are currently looking at integrating SIMPACK and VI‐Grade vehicle models as well as integrating dSpace hosted vehicle models over a UDP link,’ said rFactorPro’s Chris Hoyle.

This, of course, is very significant for the development of rFactor2: As we reported in these pages last year, rFactorPro is using the graphics and sound engines from the eagerly

8

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

awaited rFactor2—and the cross‐referencing back from rFactorPro to rFactor2 as Pro is stress‐tested in the competitive world of F1 cannot be underestimated. rFactorPro’s foray into F1, however, has not stopped at the team level: Chris Hoyle’s system was used by Silverstone at the British GP in order to promote their planned improvements.

Following the news last year that Donington Park had been awarded the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010, Silverstone have been very keen to demonstrate the benefits for F1 of returning to the Northamptonshire circuit.

‘It's my first time here [Chinese GP] and beforehand I spent a lot of time on the Red Bull Technology Simulator and it was definitely a big help and I plan to use it more in the future. It is difficult to quantify, but for sure it helps.’

— Sebastien Buemi (Scuderia Toro Rosso driver ) to Autosport.com

With less than three weeks before the British Grand Prix, rFactorPro was given the CAD data from Populous, the firm of architects who have won the contract to build the new Silverstone. Populous were keen to explore the use of accurate simulation to validate design detail, in particular two new overtaking zones.

‘There is a fantastic new section called the Arrowhead between the end of the Abbey straight and the back straight of the National circuit where the braking zone is over a crest into a tight, blind apex. Then into Brooklands, with several possible lines from 200 mph at end of the National back straight,’ said rFactorPro’s Chris Hoyle. ‘Both are great overtaking places. We have run half‐grids of thirteen cars in simulation with computer driver‐models and the best overtaking opportunities are in these two new sections.’

The event at the BRDC over the GP weekend was part of a wider operation to lobby for Silverstone’s future, one which must be rated a success: by Saturday morning, both Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley had issued press releases stating Silverstone has the 2010 GP should Donington fail to deliver, a major reversal of their previous positions. Contracts are signed and construction of the new circuit begins in November.

Hoyle, meanwhile, is now off to the U.S. where he is talking to NASCAR and Indy Racing Leagues teams in a bid to break into the U.S. motor‐sports market following their successes in F1. ‘We are looking for partners to work with to help support our growth into new markets. Having proved the product, both at the highest level and with feeder series such as GP2 and A1GP, we are keen to find organisations that can help deliver the rFPro solution into other race series and into the automotive marketplace. Our strategy is to continue to develop and support the core package while working with people who offer particular expertise in a particular series and can support the product directly.’

9

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

ARC_Team & rFactorPro At Silverstone

World Champion Damon Hill & Arrows founder Jackie Oliver test the new configuration of Silverstone along with rFactorPro and ARC_Team’s F1 Driving cockpit 10

The new Silverstone … rFactorPro was used to demonstrate the feasibility of the new turns including a new section called the Arrowhead between the end of the Abbey straight and the back straight www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

The combination of rFactorPro, new Legendary designer Mike Gascoyne tests circuit, and ARC_Team’s F1 Driving the new Silverstone circuit … rFactorPro cockpit make a splash: By the end of ran half‐grids of thirteen cars in Saturday, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone simulation with computer driver‐models had issued a press releases stating in order to test passing spots at the new Silverstone has the 2010 GP should turns … with great success …

Donington fail to deliver …

11

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

ARC_Team and Damon Hill spend some quality time: Hill, in 2006, succeeded Jackie Stewart as President of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), owners of the Silverstone circuit: His fight to retain the British GP continues …

In order to retain the grand prix, major developments are planned for the Silverstone circuit: Hill takes a spin on the new circuit along with rFactorPro (which we will see in a similar form in rFactor2 …

12

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

ARC_Wheel: First Look The ARC_Wheel is derived from the Italian hardware developer’s work in their driver training programme. With the collaboration of four GP2 drivers, the ARC_Team are developing their wheel for a scheduled November release.

The wheel is a first of its kind, since it can boast active real‐ world drivers’ input—indeed, the basis of the wheel is derived from the needs expressed by their real‐world clients for training purposes.

Another first for the wheel is that it can be modified to run an analogue clutch mounted onto the wheel, and will be available with the following options: —With or without quick release SPARCO wheel —With or without clutch paddle/lever —With or without display —The wheel can be built in aluminium or aluminium and carbon‐fiber —It will also be available in a self‐mounting kit version —Comes with up to twelve buttons (including gear‐paddles and clutch) —Analogue clutch has two separate potentiometers —User will be able to mount their own wheel to the unit: Anything under 32 cms —The wheel will run on a G25, but will also be mountable on a DFP or GT Force

13

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

Juan Carlo Sistos (top left), and Marco Bonanomi (GP2 Asia) at ARC_Team’s Pavia factory testing and developing the ARC_Wheel: The wheel comes with plenty of street‐cred’, having been developed for the Italian developer’s racing clients

14

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

ARC_Pedals: First Look Long‐time readers of AUTOSIMSPORT will recall that, back in 2006, we went to Pavia to take a spin on ARC_Team’s ‘F1 Driving’ cockpit: What we came away with was a deep love and fixation for their factory‐designed pedal‐kit that simulated the forces of a real F1 pedal that left our left legs shaking with exertion!

Ever since, the Pavia‐based outfit have been trying to assemble a ‘home‐version’ of what is—just take this for granted—the best pedal kit we’ve ever seen or tested (and we’ve done the full range on these pages!). In late 2007, they had developed a version which came awfully close to being manufactured for retail, but outside business‐ interests, coupled with the price‐tag and weight of their pedal, meant the whole project was shelved.

Earlier this year, ARC_Team began work on their new pedal‐set for their range of rather desirable cockpits: This time, however, they had not only years of further experience working with real‐world drivers to tap into, but also the active involvement of GP2’s Qi‐Meritus Team Principal Gianfranco Bielli, alongside Marco Marco Bonanomi, Earl Bamber, and other drivers (and, naturally, ARC_Team clients).

These singular pedals—dubbed the ARC_Pedals—will, once complete, be destined to equip ARC_Team’s in‐house training cockpits (you can buy ‘em, if you have a bit of money to spend), as well as those who are in possession of ultra‐professional‐grade cockpits.

15

ARC_Team are, again, toying with the idea of creating a ‘consumer’ version, but these will lack certain features of the professional version since, well, those can be turned up to a pressure of over 120bar, and if you attempted this at home— in your chair—you’d be visiting your next door neighbour (through the wall!).

Even more amazing is that these pedals will be assembled using much of the same high‐tech components found in the real‐world.

Price and availability have yet to be announced, but you can expect this to be only for those already kitted‐out with a cockpit able to withstand such pressure and force. Or for those with enough cash‐on‐hand to buy one of ARC_Team’s dreamy cockpits ... how nice it would be …

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

Renato Simioni Leaves SimBin: Releases ‘CART Factor 1.0’ AutoSimSport Brazilian ‘physics‐guru’ Renato Simioni, who many believe played a significant role in SimBi n’s return to form with their GTR‐Evo sim, has formally parted company with the Swedish developers. Details are sketchy, and no‐one is talking, but Renato—who did the physics on one of the most important mods ever created for rFactor, ‘GP79’—has returned to his roots and released (along with his ‘crew’ at Racing Line Developments) version 1.0 of ‘CART Factor’ for rFactor.

AUTOSIMSPORT has been digging about in garbage‐bins and doing their usual best to subvert what is an innocent story, and can reveal that Simioni’s return to the modding community should be a short‐lived affair. Rumours suggest Racing Line Developments may either be on the verge—or have already—signed a deal to develop a commercial simulator …

In the meantime, ‘CART Factor’ will, no doubt, set the new bar for rFactor open‐wheel physics … you can watch a video of it here (turn up the sound!).

Anyone know who owns the CART license from circa 1998? Dreamy …

16

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

RACE ON

rFactor2 Continues Progress

VirtualR.net RACE On has been scheduled for a September or October 2009 release. The title will include all RACE07 content along with brand new content including the 2008 WTCC season, the Swedish Touring Car Championship, U.S. muscle cars, and the Formula Master series.

They also sport a new Facebook page—go see …

AutoSimSport A few new screenies have appeared on rFactor2’s Facebook page, where ISI’s Scott Juliano explained that, ‘The screens are PhotoShop‐free—taken using the gMotor viewer—which is the same renderer as in‐game.’ Yummy indeed … rFactor2 is shaping up nicely …

Race2Play On Performance Racing News Magazine Race2Play Race2Play was featured prominently in an article on sim‐racing in the May/June 2009 issue of Performance Racing News magazine. The article details the benefits and enjoyments of sim‐racing online for drivers of all levels. Performance Racing News is in its twentieth year of publication in North America. The magazine’s renowned excellence in photography and journalism has made it a staple in the racing community. You can read the online version of the magazine directly from PRN.

Master The Secrets Of ‘Setup Fu’

AutoSimSport The GTLWorkshop team—the talent behind AutoSimSport’s Mod of the Year for 2008, Power&Glory v2.1—have announced that they are working on the next iteration of their wondrous mod, and are also preparing for new and future projects. ‘To do this though,’ GTL Workshop’s Aris Vasilakos said, ‘we have pushed ourselves to the limits of our knowledge and ability. We are searching for talented people with a strong passion for vintage racing. If you think you have what it takes to be part of the team that has won several "2008 mod of the year" awards, then contact us.’

RACE2PLAY Master the secrets of race car Setup Fu with straight‐up questions and answers using the Race2Play Setup Developer Tool. This easy‐to‐use program steps the user through the major areas of race car setup and tuning, asking simple questions about the telemetry readings and behavior of the car under specific race conditions. Choosing from a menu of responses, the user describes the car and the program calculates possible setup changes accordingly. Questions asked. Questions answered. The Race2Play Setup Developer Tool covers: springs and antiroll bars, tyre pressures and camber, caster and toe, gearing, differential, weight distribution, dampers, and aerodynamics. The program is the product of

17

www.autosimsport.net

GTL Workshop Keeps Working—And Is Hiring

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

Race2Play Chief Setup Engineer Tim McArthur's two decades of research in simulated auto racing. The information offered therein is relevant not only to all racing sims, but real‐world applications as well. Discuss the tool with McArthur and other users in the Setup Developer Tool group forum.

2Pez Announce Their New Sim: Top Race AutoSimSport The developers of one of last year’s sim‐racing sleepers (and one that met with much love here at AutoSimSport) Turismo Carratera have announced they’re developing a new sim using the ISI engine titled Top Race. It will feature Touring Cars, and if it is anything like TC, is sure to be yet another classic. You can keep up with the development on their Facebook page …

Forza Motorsport 3—Designer Interview vs. NFS: SHIFT VitrtualR.net Gametrailers.com has released a video interview with Turn 10’s content director John Wendl, who takes us through some of Forza Motorsport’s menus and content. Also included are a few unseen gameplay scenes for you to enjoy.

Forza Motorsport 3 will bring over 400 cars and 100 tracks to the Xbox 360. The third installment of the Forza series will be released in October. You can compare it to what many believe will be its major competition, Need For Speed: SHIFT, whose developers have released their own game play vid over at IGN. SHIFT will be released in September, the first ‘Ian Bell’ led development since GTR2 … fingers crossed for a sim‐under‐the‐skin PC version!

18

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

We’re On Twitter & Facebook AutoSimSport Your favourite sim‐racing magazine is now on Twitter: If we get enough followers, we may even post all the exclusive news we get and never bother publishing: If we get a lot of followers, we will sacrifice Bob Simmerman.

You can also follow us on Facebook.

BETandRACE And bwin Call For Second Joint Tournament Series The 3‐D racing game BETandRACE organizes jointly with bwin—the worldwide renowned provider of online sports betting and games—the second major international online racing tournament series.

Worldwide, thousands of users have the opportunity to duel for attractive real‐money prizes in sum of € 10.000—for a period of 10 weeks. The bwin‐tournament series started on April 17th 2009 at 7pm CET and takes place each Friday at the same time.

Innovation: To make the tournaments even more fair and attractive, a splitting of the league into two groups—rookies and amateurs/masters—was carried out. Thus, each user has a better chance to make sure of his share of the profit. Per tournament and league a pot of €500 will be split among the first 32 racers!

Pötsch Arnold, managing director of Vanilla Live Games, is pleased to have bwin as partner on his side. ‘We are absolutely happy about the successful cooperation and the continuation of the tournament series. This shows us once again that BETandRACE is greatly appreciated within the gaming industry.’

‘The co‐operation with BETandRACE is an innovative approach to expand the bwin community with the exciting racing series,’says Kevin O'Neal, Press Officer at bwin.

Everybody can enter the contest as long as you register on http://www.betandrace.com/ in the category ‘tournaments’. New users only have to download the free game client and there you go.

Special PC features are not necessary.

Additionally, you gain an extra credit of €10 by bwin if you register on www.bwin.com/betandrace within the period of the tournament series.

Facts about BETandRACE: Thousands of users across Europe are part of the BETandRACE community and duel on original adapted racing tracks in European cities like Berlin, Vienna, London, and Paris. With officially licensed car models under three different weather conditions, players can compete and go for play money or real money (only players 18+).

19

BETandRACE Gets New Tracks Nicole Kurka BETandRACE fans have the opportunity to duel on the racetracks in Paris. Due to this game expansion, a new, updated download client is available, which is accessible here (308 MB).

Furthermore, additional features are available, such as the autojoin, and boost function.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

Superleague Formula Announces Launch Of Official Sim Superleagueformula.com Superleague Formula is set to move up yet another gear with the launch of its first official videogame in September.

Now poised to kick off its second season, Superleague Formula is the only competition in the world to unite premier league quality motor sport with top football brands. The series features a grid of powerful single‐seater racing cars—all representing many of the world’s most famous football clubs—competing for top honours on the race track.

This year’s championship takes place between June and November with races in France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Portugal, Italy and Spain. Among those celebrated clubs competing for outright glory are former UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool FC and AC Milan.

As on the race circuit, the exciting new Superleague Formula video game will combine the passion of football with the speed, excitement and emotion of car racing to produce a product with genuine appeal to the millions of global gamers already enjoying top selling football and motor sport games.

Renowned specialists Media Game and Image Space Incorporated are masterminding the development and subsequent launch of the official video game. ISI has a wealth of experience—its portfolio of video games already includes rFactor, F1 Challenge, and NASCAR Thunder. The exciting new game will be introduced in September and will be distributed online for PCs from the official Superleague Formula website: www.superleagueformula.com ‘We are delighted to have concluded this significant deal with such proven experts,’ said Superleague Formula President, Alex Andreu. ‘Football and motor sport games are among the most popular titles right around the world and we’re confident that our game will be a huge hit with all gamers. It will not only provide extra excitement to existing Superleague Formula followers and fans of those clubs competing in our championship but also it will help us to spread the Superleague gospel to important new global audiences.’

iRacing, Marcos Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Team Up for Pocono NASCAR Race: iRacing.com The JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Toyota Camry, driven by Australia’s Marcos Ambrose, will race under iRacing.com colors in this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono International Raceway. The announcement of the single‐ event tie‐up between the race team and the motorsport simulation company, which had

20

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

been widely rumored, was made today by Steve Myers, iRacing’s executive producer, and Tad Geschickter, co‐owner of JTG Daugherty Racing.

‘Our partnership with Marcos to help introduce iRacing to Australia and New Zealand has gone extremely well,’ said Myers. ‘So, when this opportunity with his NASCAR team, JTG Daugherty Racing, became available, we jumped at it. With NASCAR‐ sanctioned online racing being introduced to the iRacing service in less than six months, this seemed like a great way to introduce ourselves to the more than 80,000 NASCAR fans who will attend the race in person and the several million more who will be watching on ESPN.’ Ambrose has racked up four top‐10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finishes so far, including a third‐place on the Infineon road course at Sonoma, CA, and a sixth‐place finish earlier this summer at Pocono. Last year Ambrose scored his first‐ever NASCAR Nationwide Series victory, taking the checkered flag at Watkins Glen.

‘We are a sponsor‐focused race team, and we’re eager to show the folks at iRacing what that means,’ said Geschickter. ‘Perhaps they’re only joining us for a single race, but we know that Marcos has a close relationship with iRacing and we’re eager to show them what we can do to help them get the word out to NASCAR fans about how much fun it is to race with other fans and professional racing drivers on iRacing’s internet‐ based racing service.’

While NASCAR‐sanctioned racing won’t begin on the iRacing service until early next year, iRacing has already introduced exact digital duplicates of the vehicles raced in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series, that perform exactly as their real‐world counterparts do. In addition, iRacing has built, is building or is negotiating to produce digital versions of all the tracks on the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. The use of survey‐quality laser scanning and proprietary data‐processing yields tracks with millimeter‐accuracy and an online experience that is as real as possible and virtually as much fun as driving the car in the physical world.

Myers noted that in celebration of the Pocono sponsorship, iRacing is making a special offer for new subscribers, a $25.00 (half‐price) three‐month subscription to the service, which includes all of the cars and tracks necessary for oval and road‐racing rookie and advanced rookie seasons ‘Plus, we’re throwing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup car,’ for free Myers said. ‘That’s an additional $15.00 value.’

According to Myers, while the virtual version of Pocono International Raceway is not yet quite ready to be made available to subscribers to the iRacing service, work is quite advanced and iRacing has been able to supply Ambrose with a pre‐release version so

21

that he can get in as many practice laps as necessary before he pulls out of the pits and onto the real‐world version of the track.

‘I will begetting a head start on the competition by practicing on iRacing before heading to the track to try and get every advantage I can,’ Ambrose said. ‘Making sure I’m fully up to speed the first time I roll out of the pits on Friday means that we’ll have more laps to focus on getting the car absolutely right.’

Myers noted that Pocono is unique among the ovals where NASCAR competes in that the track has three distinctly different turns – different banking and radius for each one – making it a particularly challenging one to learn. ‘In that way, Pocono is kind of like the road courses at Watkins Glen and Sonoma, but with all left‐hand turns.’

In recognition of this sponsorship, from July 31 through August 4, 2009 iRacing is offering new members a half‐price three‐month subscription to the service. Included are all of the cars and tracks necessary to complete the rookie and advanced rookie series in both oval and road‐racing categories, plus an additional $15.00 value, the Chevrolet Impala SS as raced in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Go to www.iracing.com and hit the ‘Special Offer’ button at the bottom of the page.

No one should be surprised to see Ambrose sitting in a simulator next to the JTG Daugherty Racing hauler in the garage area when his iRacing car isn’t on the track. He’ll just be getting ready for the next practice or qualifying session.

iRacing.com—First VW Jetta TDi Previews VirtualR.net First preview shots of the VW Jetta TDi cup race car that will be added to the iRacing lineup have surfaced on the simulation’s website. Powered by a tw‐litre four cylinder diesel engine, the car puts out 168BHP. The car will be used in the VW Jetta TDi Cup racing series where young along with aspiring drivers will compete for the championship, and $100.000 prize money. iRacing’s virtual version of the cup will be offering exciting incentive too, giving sim‐racers the chance to prove they have real driving talent. Once the season is over, the top ranked drivers which meet the VW Jetta TDI Cup requirements (age between sixteen‐to‐twenty‐six and a North American/Mexico resident) will receive an invitation by Volkswagen of America and get their chance to prove themselves in a real VW Jetta TDI Cup race car.

Volkswagen will be selecting thirty drivers to compete in the real‐life 2010 season and should the iRacing qualifier be among them, his/her full season will be paid for! The partnership goes even further as iRacing.com will be the primary gateway to the Driver Selections event for the 2011 VW Jetta TDI Cup season.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

iRacing’s VW Jetta TDi

netKarPro Version 1.1 In Public Beta AutoSimSport Rumours of nKPro’s Version 1.1 coming out in a public‐beta are true: The long‐awaited version will also come with a content upgrade featuring the FIAT Abarth, and a new track with fifteen configurations. Developer Stefano Casillo will be eager to test his new version on as many systems as possible to avoid the issues the initial release of the sim created.

None of us here at AutoSimSport can wait another day—come on, Stefano!

22

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

AS THE WHEELS TURN

Kaemmer’s F1 Return Is Cause For Nostalgia AUTOSIMSPORT

Dave Kaemmer’s first F1 car since Grand Prix Legends has left me feeling a bit nostalgic: Funny really, as the day approached for the release of the 79, I realized—quite by chance— that I was actually rather excited. And that led me to think that I had not been that excited about the release of anything in sim‐racing in ten years. And that led me to think how much my life has changed in a decade. And that led me to start thinking about the old days with GPL. And that led me to think about the friends I had made (one of whom, Rick Rideout, I saw running the Lotus 79 at The Glen—eleven years after the first time we ran The Glen in a Kaemmer sim), and what had happened to them all. And that led me to find my old website on the ‘net that hadn’t been updated since 2002. And that led me to find the photo below … a PhotoShopped effort by a guy called Richey Manic (where are you now?) who was, without doubt, the funniest person who ever graced our community.

Recognise any of these people? Good times indeed. Most of the old sites are gone now, including FILSCA … sad, really … has any other sim ever inspired so much passion? Doubtful … and I doubt we will ever see that kind of passion again either …

23

continued

Massa Out, Schumi in … The Creepy Coincidence Of F1 AUTOSIMSPORT

As I write this, Felipe Massa’s condition remains serious but stable: Reports indicate that he will leave hospital in ten days, and I can only hope and pray that by the time you read this, Massa will indeed by back home with his pregnant wife and family, with nothing more to worry about than how he will win the world championship in 2010.

But I am here neither to bury nor to praise Massa, as the guy once said: Whatever happens, Massa is certainly out for the rest of the season, and Ferrari have confirmed that seven‐time world champion Michael Schumacher will be back for the Scuderia.

Welcome news, I think … we will know soon enough if he still ‘has it’ at the ripe old age of forty: And as someone told me just the other day, the idea of Hamilton, Alonso, and Schumacher racing one another without a title on the line may be quite appetizing!

Schumacher’s return, though, had me wondering when the last time was that a world champion was called out of retirement to drive in F1: The best I could come up with?

The year was 1982: We are at the height of the ground‐effects era. The FOCA‐FISA war is at its most bitter, Gilles Villeneuve is dead, Ricardo Paletti is dead, and Dider Pironi’s doctors are fighting not to amputate his legs. The teams are at loggerheards about the rules, and Max Mosley is fighting to depose Ballestre as big‐boss of the FISA. All of this sounding familiar? Ferrari lost two of its drivers that season—Pironi and Villeneuve—and come the Italian GP at Monza, Enzo needed a top‐line driver in a hurry.

Who was available? How about 1978 champion Mario Andretti who had left the sport in disgust at the end of 1981 when the ground‐effects cars—now without any height restrictions—had become as solid as surfboards. Enzo brought Mario to Marenello, the two had a bite to eat and a few glasses of wine before Mario was invited to test the Ferrari turbo.

A week later, Mario was back for his swansong: At forty‐two, of course, no‐one expected much from the veteran, but Mario was fit and fast as ever, dumping the Ferrari on pole—at Monza, where, as a boy, he would peak over the fences to catch a glimpse of Ascari and his idols in their Ferraris—and finished up on the podium.

Those of you who have been watching F1 this season will no doubt see many comparisons: The threat of a breakaway series, the dethroning of the big chief of the FIA (those this time it is Mosley who is the victim—irony indeed), serious injuries to a Ferrari driver, and, finally, Ferrari calling upon a retired world champion to drive their car.

So, how will Schumacher do? Personally, I’d not be surprised to see him stick the Ferrari on pole at Valencia … after all, it’s all in the script, isn’t it, deep in Bernie’s desk?

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

24

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

25

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

26

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

27

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

YOU HERE

28

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

29

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

30

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

COMMENT Spadge Fromley CHEESE rFactor2 Wherefore Art Thou?

Is still not out, and is not likely to be coming out any time soon. I hear they have enough work to do on it to see them through the rest of 2009. At least, probably, for sure.

ASS—Big Ones Bi‐Monthly Instead of going Buy‐Monthly, AutoSimSport has gone Bi‐Monthly. Which means it could go either way, right?

Or does it just mean that you’ll be lucky to see more than two issues in a year?

RaceSimZilla Is Not Dead—It Just Smells Funny In June, everyone’s favourite forum—RaceSimZilla— exploded back onto the web scene before their server promptly fell over, unable to handle the traffic. Now relying on donations to keep themselves afloat, the cuddly bunnies who moderate the forums may have to start encouraging their members to start being nice to one another, and perhaps thinking twice before banning people.

The most heated topic of conversation has to be the completely incomprehensible structure of the place, now ordering sub‐sections by the kind of cars that appear in each sim. So naturally rFactor is somewhere in the, erm, Touring & Sports Cars section, I believe.

31

continued

Fromadge Frei

But don't worry! It’s all temporary! By which I don’t mean the site will be collapsing again, but rather that the forum sections are still under development and may all change again soon.

Simdi500 Been And Gone—See You Next Year The Simdionapolis 500 was big this year. Lots of people entered. Lots of people took part. Lots of people whined about not winning it afterward. Heck, some of them even whined about not winning it during! For those who took any problems in their stride, it was an amazing event. Most people thoroughly enjoyed it.

Congrats to everyone who started on the grid and finished right side up.

iRacing On The Cake?

I haven’t heard a thing about it in months—do people still play? Is it still the world’s most popular and expensive unfinished product since the Taj Mahal? The last thing I heard about it must have been that our very own and dear Bob Simmerman won the losers’ league in something or other. Go Bob!

Twitter Our awesomely illustrious leader, Alex Martini, has recently been spotted dipping his toes into the modern world of web two point zero, so go over to his Twitter page and tell him what you really think. Before he gets banned from there, too.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

FORCE-FEEDBACK LETTER OF THE MONTH You People Are Late—Again!

Dear AutoSimSport, I don’t usually pester people about their time‐keeping and schedules—especially when they do their stuff for free. But! Come on, it’s been four months since your last issue, and that is pushing the boundaries of sloppy. What could possibly take this long?

Anyway, get on with already, I see over at Issuu that you have over 40,000 views—add that to what must be tens of thousands from your website, and surely you must appreciate the fact that you have over 60,000 or so readers per issue—and that you’re letting everyone down.

Get on with it!

Yours, Gus Perry

Everything Sucks—Or Is It Just Me? I hate everything. rFactor is a pile of junk—seriously, how many crap mods does a man need in one life? SimBin? SimBin haven’t done a single darn thing since GTR2 worth a damn: And RACE‐ ON (really, are you kidding me, you know a dev’ is in trouble when they can’t even think up a name that isn’t totally stupid!) is just more of the same. iRacing, meanwhile, tell me they’re the future but all I see are rubbish cars and rubbish tracks, and don’t get me started on Live For Speed and netKarPro—my PC has seen a generation of chip‐upgrades in the time it’s taken those guys to release (sorry, did I say release, I meant—not release!) a new version.

Think about it: Our biggest sim this year will be Need For Speed: SHIFT. What kind of world do we live in when our big‐white‐hope is Need For Speed?

A rubbish one is what! And then there’s your ‘magazine’: Don’t get me started on that!

Yours in disgust, Jason Myers

The Winner of our Volume 5 Issue 1 BUTTKICKER® WIRELESS HOME THEATER KIT contest was Paul Kang, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

Congratulations, and thanks to all who wrote in.

The Winner of our EuroTruck Simulator giveaway was Thomas Johnson of Rhame, North Dakota, U.S.

32

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

NEWS

continued

33

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

34

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

35

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

DAVE KAEMMER RETURNS TO HISTORIC FORMULA ONE AFTER A DECADE: THE LOTUS 79 (with skirts!)

36

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing

JONDENTON

July through August will see iRacing’s first landmark come and go: One year into its subscription‐only service, and it will be time for many of the sim’s early‐adopters to either renew their yearly subscriptions—or walk away from the service … so how will iRacing do under its first serious stress‐test? CEO and chief technology officer Dave Kaemmer took time off from looking under skirts (of the www.autosimsport.net 37 Venturi sort) to give Jon Denton the facts of virtual life …

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

JON DENTON: One year after opening your doors, can you assess for us how are the membership numbers today compare with how they were projected before you opened your doors? There are roughly 10,000 members subscribed to the service: Were the renewals for the one‐year members as predicted? And what are the goals for year two?

DAVE KAEMMER: We’re ahead of our forecast for the current year—more than 14,000 people have subscribed so far—and we’re optimistic about our growth potential going forward.

Annual memberships offer great benefits, including a lower monthly cost, and $60.00 credit toward additional content.

Those early annual memberships are now expiring, and we’ve been pleased with how many of them are renewing. It confirms that we’re pretty much on the right track.

Because there was so much about iRacing that was different from what had come before, including the subscription‐based business model, we expected that a lot of existing sim‐racers would opt for shorter memberships, at least initially. As it turned out, there were probably more of those than we expected, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many of them have now converted to longer‐term subscriptions. We’ve also noticed that a fair number of members who let their short‐ term subscriptions lapse have returned as we’ve added more features to the service.

We expect continued robust growth throughout this next year, but it’s hard for us to predict exactly how quickly our membership will increase. It’s always been our plan to enlarge the sim‐racing community and establish it as a bona fide sport, and that’s quite a different task than just signing up people who already enjoy sim‐racing.

We were quite confident that, because of the accuracy of the simulation—cars, tracks, and tyres—that we’d be attractive to racers who compete in the physical world, and our experience has borne that out. We don’t keep exact records, but I think that at this point no more than about ten percent of our members are professional or amateur real‐world racers, and I expect that, as the size of the

38

service grows, that percentage will remain about the same.

Though I must say that it’s been gratifying to see guys like Alex Gurney and Justin Wilson, who first used the service just as a training tool, following {in} the path of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and now get involved in our racing series because it’s so much fun.

The main reason it’s hard for us to forecast how quickly the service will grow over the next twelve months comes back to our efforts to build a substantially larger community, and establish internet‐based racing as a legitimate branch of motor‐sport that exists in the virtual space.

We’re reaching out to gamers who already enjoy driving games. They have the hardware already, and that’s one hurdle we don’t have to get over. We’re getting some good coverage on the gaming websites and magazines. Some driving gamers will find we’re the right next step and they’ll be part of our growth over the next year and beyond. But we’re well aware that not all the fans of Super Mario Kart or Grand Theft Auto are going to find what they’re looking for with iRacing.

Much of the growth that we’re looking for over the next several years will come from the motor‐sports fan base— both NASCAR and other forms of racing. Our current members are big fans of all kinds of real‐world racing; you only have to browse our member forums if you have any doubts about that. If they had the time and money—and it takes a lot of both—many of our members who aren’t racing in the physical world would be. We believe it’s the same with fans who invest a good bit of time and money to attend races; they’d love to go racing themselves, just like the folks who get up very early Sunday mornings to watch Formula One broadcasts on television. Our task is to make them aware that, with iRacing, they can enjoy much of what’s fun about competing with other enthusiasts in real races, the same thing that has brought AUTOSIMSPORT’s readers to sim‐racing.

‘We know from our conversations with Mario Andretti and others involved with racing the Lotus 79 thirty years ago that the car couldn’t run a full grand prix without fading the inboard rear brakes. Of the five cars that Lotus built, many of the ones that are being regularly campaigned in historic races have had their brakes updated, and they all run without sliding skirts on the sidepods, which sharply reduces downforce. We’ve modelled the car with sliding‐ skirt downforce …’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

JON DENTON: There was a great deal of belly‐aching amongst members after the last update: How do you feel the structure of iRacing complements the wishes of the members at this time, and how have the members’ needs overtaken your original goals, specifically car, and track releases?

DAVE KAEMMER: We pay attention to what our members tell us they’re looking for. After all, they pay our salaries. We opened the service to the public once we felt we had sufficient content and features to make it worthwhile for most people, but knowing that the service would never be

39

‘complete’ because, as in the physical world of motor‐sport, we will never stop developing our virtual version. Every ninety days we roll out a new build of the service, with added features. And we make new content available as soon as we’ve finished it. That’s always going to be how it works with iRacing.

But the reality is that we can’t completely satisfy everyone all the time. Our service is always growing and our membership is always growing. At the current number of members, we need to balance the wide variety of cars and series that people want with the need to make certain that

we can populate the races we currently schedule. It’s a balancing act right now, though that will be less of a factor as our membership grows.

JON DENTON: Are there any plans to address deeper simulation of the ‘mechanical’ side of the sim? That is, gear‐boxes that ‘work’, brake temperature and wear?

DAVE K AEMMER: Yes, definitely. We are very pleased with the state of our tyre model, which already {has} temperatures and wear. We model gross engine damage (over‐revs on downshifts, for instance) and are planning to add features like clutch and transmission wear and tear.

We know from our conversations with Mario Andretti and others involved with racing the Lotus 79 thirty years ago that the car couldn’t run a full grand prix without fading the inboard rear brakes. Of the five cars that Lotus built, many of the ones that are being regularly campaigned in historic races have had their brakes updated, and they all run without sliding skirts on the sidepods, which sharply reduces downforce. We’ve modelled the car with sliding‐skirt downforce. On its introduction to the iRacing fleet, we won’t have the brake fade modelled, but then again, that’s not a factor in the length of races we typically run now. Eventually I expect that we might schedule full grand prix length two‐hundred mile races for the car, and by then perhaps we’ll have accurately modelled rear brake fade. That would be pretty cool.

JON DENTON: As you noted earlier, there is clearly a balancing act now with regards to retaining enough cars to ensure full grids in your service: But many of our readers are desperately waiting for a more powerful open‐wheeler: The rumour mill suggests that the Lotus 79 could be on the way with the next update, can you shed any light on these rumours?

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

DAVE KAEMMER: Yes, the Lotus 79 is very fast, and it really corners hard. As you can imagine, it takes some skill to extract the car’s full performance, but our members are really going to enjoy the car. And they won’t have to wait much longer. That’s all I can say right now.

JON DENTON: There is an argument that suggests new cars bring in new members: Have you found this to be an accurate appraisal of what you’re seeing with the service?

DAVE KAEMMER: Rather than just making the decision on the basis of one car, for the most part I think prospective members look at the inventory of cars and tracks in its entirety. The possible exception is the Chevy Impala SS NASCAR Sprint Cup car. I think that car tipped the scales for a lot of folks. And it’s interesting because, just as is the case with its counterpart in the physical world, our Sprint Cup car is pretty challenging to race; a lot of people find the Silverado truck or the Nationwide Impala SS to be a bit less demanding and more enjoyable.

JON DENTON: The sim remains, at this stage, very America‐ centric: But Brands Hatch, and Oulton Park are coming; can one then presume there are other tracks in Europe, Asia, and Australia on the way? And can you tell us which and, failing that, give us an indication of how many we’re talking about? Is this an attempt to attract users outside the U.S.?

Dave Kaemmer: Well, we’ve announced Zandvoort, and yes, you can expect more tracks from around the world.

Less than an attempt to attract a more international membership, it’s aimed at satisfying our existing membership, forty percent of which is from outside North America. And really, it’s not just that our European members want to race on the tracks in their neighbourhood. They enjoy racing on classic North American tracks that they’ve heard about but never seen in person. Similarly, our North American members are

40

keen to race on tracks they won’t likely be able to visit in the real world.

Economics was the reason we initially focused on North American tracks. The cost of building them is a function of track length and amount and complexity of trackside objects. But scanning the tracks is a significant logistical task, and it was less expensive to do it with tracks that were closer to home. That’s one of the reasons why we scanned and built Lime Rock Park first—it’s only a couple of hours from our office outside Boston.

And remember, nobody had ever built a track this way before. We learned quite a bit as we were doing the scanning, as did the surveyors we’d hired to work with us. And then we learned more in the course of building the track out from the laser‐generated point cloud.

I raced at Lime Rock Park for five years in the Skip Barber series, but when I drove the first ‘finished’ version of the track, it seemed like something wasn’t quite right.

‘This doesn’t feel like Lime Rock,’ I said. We all thought about it, and then I asked the artists about the trees—as you probably know, Lime Rock Park is set in a wooded valley in the mountains—and it turned out that they’d done the leaf canopy just as it was scanned, but had put the tree trunks somewhat randomly under the canopy— which seemed reasonable! But I asked them to go back to the laser‐scan and place the tree trunks where they actually are. That took a while, but when they were finished I did some more laps: ‘Now that’s Lime Rock!’

It’s funny how your brain records things and finds important spatial clues that are completely outside your conscious awareness. It might seem like a small thing, and irrelevant to anyone who doesn’t race there in the physical world, but even for a fan, it’s that much more immersive when you see some in‐car on TV and you have a deja‐vu moment, ‘I’ve been there!’

‘Well, in the first season nobody is going to be making a living from competing in the Pro events, but in terms of an activity that people do because it’s fun and they enjoy it, these will be nice prizes. And don’t underestimate the value of bragging rights. Qualifying for a Pro license is a significant accomplishment, and finishing well in the Pro Series is going to be quite an achievement. The Drivers World Championship will involve bigger prizes, but we are still finalizing that.’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

The new season update from iRacing is outstanding: Not only is the

Lotus 79 the greatest sim‐ride ever seen, but the whole service has been given an overhaul. In one update, iRacing have taken a massive leap forward and now sit comfortably at the top of the sim‐racing world—with consummate ease. If you haven’t tried the sim since they released a year ago, you will be in for a rare treat indeed: John Henry and co. have just hit it out of the park.

JON DENTON: So, more tracks from around the world; does this mean we will also be offered more European and Asian racing cars?

DAVE KAEMMER: I expect that in the fullness of time—and I’m not talking about several years—as our membership grows, we’ll offer cars and series that are specific to particular geographical areas, including Europe and Asia. But I don’t have anything specific to reveal today.

41

JON DENTON: The ‘Racing Pro Series’qualification is well‐ underway: The first season begins in early August, and the world’s first sim‐racing Drivers World Championship will be inaugurated in January (both in Oval and Road Racing).

Entry to this series is open to only 250 drivers (in each category, meaning at most 500 drivers) who will then hold a ‘Pro’ license. In other words: Pro drivers can participate in the Pro Series, and the top fifty drivers will then run in the

Drivers World Championship. Can you give us an indication of what this series will involve in terms of iRacing’s promotion and prizes?

DAVE KAEMMER: Well, in the first season nobody is going to be making a living from competing in the Pro events, but in terms of an activity that people do because it’s fun and they enjoy it, these will be nice prizes. And don’t underestimate the value of bragging rights. Qualifying for a Pro license is a

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

significant accomplishment, and finishing well in the Pro Series is going to be quite an achievement. The Drivers World Championship will involve bigger prizes, but we are still finalizing that.

JON DENTON: Do you feel this ‘elite’ series will somehow alter the feel of iRacing? That is, this is the first time we have seen in our environment a ‘class’system that will see the vast majority of users competing in one class, while a smaller group compete in the ‘Pro’ series: Do you anticipate any problems, and if so, how will you go about resolving this? For instance, some have already claimed iRacing is biased toward the better drivers.

DAVE KAEMMER: No, I don’t think this represents some sort of fundamental change in the racing experience for our members. Remember, our goal has always been to replicate the physical world of motor‐sport in the virtual space. In the natural world, a guy who is running regionals and nationals in the Sports Car Club of America’s club racing program isn’t having less fun because NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are racing in front of 150,000 spectators at the track and another several million on television.

And just as in the real world, we’re offering the drivers in our community the opportunity—if they have the ability and the commitment—to advance their careers as far as their talent and skill will take them. The ladder is there, and in the case of iRacing, the financial hurdles are essentially eliminated, at least as compared with buying and campaigning cars in the real world.

If by ‘biased toward the better drivers’ you mean that we offer more opportunities for drivers with greater experience and skill, I disagree. We do require that drivers demonstrate the ability to drive safely in slower cars before we permit them race wheel‐to‐wheel in faster and more demanding cars. But that’s to everyone’s advantage whether they are rookies or veterans. And because the system assigns drivers to specific groups for a given race according to their skill

42

level, most often a driver can be pretty sure that he or she will be racing with others of about the same skill level.

Obviously the more members we have the better this feature works.

And we’ll be announcing in the near future another feature that will help rookies (and others) more quickly develop the necessary skills to be fast and safe on the race track and more rapidly advance in their careers.

JON DENTON: iRacing has now evolved into the following series: The ‘standard’ series (twelve series for oval and road), the World Cup (that is calculated on results garnered from the standard series), the iRacing Pro Series (both for road and oval), and the iRacing Drivers World Championship. In other words, sim‐racers now have an organic ‘progression’ in their simulated careers that sees them begin with a rookie license and, depending on their skill level, will either stop at the A license scene (A being the furthest progression for the standard license), or see them take that one step further (along with 250 drivers in road and 250 in oval) to the Pro Series: And in the Pro Series, they can compete for the Drivers World Championship. This is an interesting progression which, however, does leave the vast amount of members somewhat ‘out’ of any ‘championship’ per se (that is, they can compete in their class, but that, as it now stands, is not much of an ‘event’): Are there any plans to find a solution to what many members see as a meaningless series of races every season? That is: A one‐ off weekly race for every class, for instance, which will count toward an official championship for every class, or something similar?

DAVE KAEMMER: It’s difficult for us to create once a week races for our entire membership because we cover so many time zones. Even for the Pro Series we will have a few races each week in order to try and allow members from all over the world to find a time that works for them.

‘We have by no means implemented all the features we plan to include—as I’ve said before, the service will never be ‘finished’. That said, our observations in the year since we opened the service to the general sim‐racing public have, for the most part, validated our overall plan. We’ll continue to develop the service and add more features that our members want, but I don’t think you can expect to see any major changes of direction in the foreseeable future.’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

And I don’t agree that any of the championships we organize are ‘meaningless’, certainly not to the people who are competing in them, but I suspect what you mean is that the Pro Series will get more internal and external publicity than the twelve‐week series that will be the focus for the majority of iRacers.

Again, I’d note that our goal is to duplicate the physical world of motor‐sport in the virtual space. Pick your

43

favourite auto racing website or newspaper; they give more attention to F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS, and Grand‐Am than they do to the more grassroots forms of racing. Now, look at Sports Car Club of America and its member magazine, Sports Car. We think that provides an excellent model; bigger races and series get more coverage, but every series does get covered in a meaningful way. Stay tuned, because in the very near future we will announce a

new feature in the iRacing world that, as time goes on, will ensure that every iRacing member will have access to current news about the series that they compete in.

JON DENTON: Is there any tweaking planned for the current structure of iRacing in terms of the general order of things?

DAVE KAEMMER: We spend a lot of time listening to what our members have to say about the service and the

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

community, and we spend even more time thinking about and then implementing changes that will improve the experience.

But remember that we also spent several years before we opened our doors, taking what my colleagues and I have learned about what sim‐racers like and what new things we think will enhance the experience for them. We have by no means implemented all the features we plan to include—as I’ve said before, the service will never be ‘finished’. That said, our observations in the year since we opened the service to the general sim‐racing public have, for the most part, validated our overall plan. We’ll continue to develop the service and add more features that our members want, but I don’t think you can expect to see any major changes of direction in the foreseeable future.

JON DENTON: NASCAR and iRacing have joined forces: The result will see a NASCAR‐sanctioned series run on iRacing as early as 2010. Can you give us an indication of what this means—over and above the obvious recognition of sim‐racing as a form of motor‐sports? Will we see an iRacing championship that runs alongside NASCAR, will we see trackside races, and so forth?

DAVE KAEMMER: While we already have all of the top‐tier NASCAR vehicles, as they compete in the Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series, and Sprint Cup Series, plus all of the ISC, SMI, and independent Sprint Cup tracks either in inventory, under construction, or in negotiation, the first NASCAR‐sanctioned race series won’t begin until after January 1, 2010.

We’re currently talking with our partners at NASCAR about the details of the series; how we can make this work well for NASCAR and its existing fan base, as well as for our current members. I will say this: that while we do have a license from NASCAR, for both parties this is way more than just a licensing agreement. But for the time being it wouldn’t be helpful to speak more about plans that are still being fleshed out.

44

‘I’d say that the same qualities that have made iRacing compelling to guys like Dale, Justin Wilson, Alex Gurney, A.J. Allmendinger and scores of other well‐ known real‐world racers are the same qualities that have made iRacing attractive to thousands of sim‐racers whose driving careers will play out entirely in the virtual world—the fidelity of the tracks, the cars and the tyres to their real‐world counterparts, and the accuracy with which the cars perform on the tracks.’

JON DENTON: Is this ‘partnership’ something that iRacing want to extend into other series as well? Will we see a similar structure unfold with Star Mazda (also a ‘partner’ to iRacing)?

DAVE KAEMMER: The Star Mazda organization already makes our software available to all of its drivers and teams; every competitor has the opportunity to train with the virtual version of the car and those tracks that are in our inventory.

We’ve announced a partnership with Volkswagen’s U.S. arm to build the Jetta TDI Cup car and organize a series of races on their behalf. For this season, VW had more than 2,000 applications for the fifty slots in the series. For 2010, Volkswagen expects even more drivers to register. The primary way that a prospective participant in the 2010 season will be invited to the real‐world evaluation round of 200 is through his or her performance in the iRacing‐ organized virtual‐world series (which is open to all of our regular members as well.)

JON DENTON: We have begun to take it for ‘normal’ that pro‐ drivers in real‐life use the iRacing service, but guys like Dale Jr. have been incredibly helpful in ‘pitching’ your sim: Do you feel this kind of exposure will help bring in new users into sim‐racing? When you crunch the numbers, do you see a lot of new users, or does this remain still the playground of the familiar faces in the sim‐racing community?

DAVE KAEMMER: I’d say that the same qualities that have made iRacing compelling to guys like Dale, Justin Wilson, Alex Gurney, A.J. Allmendinger and scores of other well‐ known real‐world racers are the same qualities that have made iRacing attractive to thousands of sim‐racers whose driving careers will play out entirely in the virtual world—the fidelity of the tracks, the cars and the tyres to their real‐ world counterparts, and the accuracy with which the cars perform on the tracks. The iRacing experience is highly realistic, challenging and, for people looking for more than a casual one‐time afternoon, a lot of fun.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

We definitely have a lot of members who are new to sim‐racing, many of them are real‐world racers—we have quite a few gamers with a console driving game background who just love the realism and structure of iRacing.

JON DENTON: What is the status with regard to a possible introduction of leagues or private club racing within iRacing?

DAVE KAEMMER: We understand that there are groups of friends who enjoy racing together, but whose skill levels vary to the degree that they might never race with one another in the existing iRacing structure. It’s always been part of our agenda to accommodate those folks, and we’ve been working on a way to address that within the existing iRacing structure and in a manner that is consistent with our approach to the sport. We’ll be unveiling that soon—stay tuned.

JON DENTON: A frequent subject of debate is the lack of a ‘community’ within iRacing. Do you feel this is the case— or, perhaps more accurately, do you feel those who have

45

this impression may have a point—and are there any ideas on how to create more of a feeling of community within the service? Is this something you are looking at?

DAVE KAEMMER: Establishing a community has been at the heart of the iRacing concept since the start. John’s {Henry, iRacing co‐founder and chairman} been a steadfast champion of this notion, and all of us endorse it. That’s what the geographically‐based clubs are about.

Providing in‐sim voice chat, forums, and other ways that our members can interact with one another are all features that support the development of communities.

But in some sense all we can do is provide the structure for the development of these communities.

Another ingredient is time; we’ve only been open to the general public since last August. The communities that our members are using as reference tend to have been in existence for years; it’s going to take some time for our communities to really take root and fully flower. And a number of the upcoming additions to the iRacing service, some of which I’ve referred to or hinted at earlier, are going to facilitate the development of these communities, just as the open practice sessions have helped.

‘And just as in the real world, we’re offering the drivers in our community the opportunity—if they have the ability and the commitment—to advance their careers as far as their talent and skill will take them …’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

46

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

An Evolution Of The 79 On YouTube

47

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

48

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

A Year With iRacing Dave Kaemmer continued

49

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

1 MILLION UNITS SOLD 4 EUROPEAN TOP 10 HITS 1 UK TOP SELLER

1 NOMINATION: GAME OF THE YEAR

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF

IVANASKEW

EDWARD GRABOWSKI www.autosimsport.net

50

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

‘Unfortunately the FIA did not have the image rights for Jacques Villeneuve,’ Grabowski explains. ‘When Jacques joined F1, he kept his rights. I think MicroProse did try to do a deal with his management, but an agreement couldn’t be done in time. In fact, one of the background shots had Jacques being sprayed with champagne, and we had to PhotoShop it out. The photograph of Newhouse is actually one of the programmers.’

51

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

52

The ‘toppermost of the poppermost’ is a long way from South East London where Ed Grabowski was born sometime in the 1950s. But for all his success—five of his games have charted in the top ten in Europe—he will always remain synonymous (for sim‐ racers in particular) as the man who wrote the seminal Formula One management simulator, Grand Prix World.

That Grabowski would grow up to become a game designer, though, was evident early on: Board games, created by legendary companies such as Waddington (Cluedo), and the Parker Brothers (Risk, Monopoly, along with 2,000 other games), fascinated the young lad from the East End: ‘I built up quite a collection of second‐hand games that I purchased from the Sunday flea markets,’ Grabowski recalls. ‘Attending the WarGames club after school got me interested in playing/recreating battles, and introduced me to creating my own games. I remember making a game based on the final battle in “Jaws” out of a Kellogg’s Corn Flake box!’

The turn‐based, strategic, and addictive elements of these games would—as those familiar with his work will confirm—leave a lasting impression on many of his best‐ loved games: Indeed, at their core, the majority of his output, in a career that spanned fifteen years or so, were digital versions of these classics, mutated beneath a binary skin. Had the personal computer not changed the way we play our games, Grabowski, it’s probably safe to assume, would have designed some Risk‐like epic. As it stands, destiny—and Clive Sinclair—would lead Grabowski onto a different, if not altogether dissimilar, path.

The early 1980s was an exciting time in the world of gaming: With cheap computers such as the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum available to practically everyone in the (Western) world, game production cost as little as a teenager’s desire and time: coding entire games on a cassette over rainy afternoons became an alternative way for nerds (this was before they transmuted into geeks)—who couldn’t start a New Romantic band—to become very rich very young: Grabowski would prove to be one of the lingering lights of a generation that featured legendary coders such as Ian Bell (no, the other one), David Braben, Matthew Smith, Chris Yates, Jon Hare, Andrew Braybrook, Geoff Crammond, Richard and David Darling, and a select few others ... ’I first got interested in computers when Clive Sinclair launched the ZX81,’ Grabowski says. ‘It had 1 KB of RAM and, after a while, they brought out extra memory in the form of a 16 KB RAM pack—at the time I never thought I’d ever need any more memory—ever! Unfortunately, my ZX81 never seemed to be able to save programs properly (they were saved to an ordinary tape cassette player), so once you turned the computer off, you lost the BASIC program you had written!’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

This was the dawn of computer‐game development: Coders were not so much learning the game and the skills required to create the games running around in their heads, but inventing them. Typing game‐listings off of magazines they bought from their local newsagents—— hundreds of lines of BASIC—taught these early pioneers how to programme: Back then, one didn’t just go to college to study ‘Gaming Design’ since, well, no‐one had yet written that book, much less a thesis on it ...

Grabowski, for his part, was practically an old man when he began coding his first game.

‘I was in my mid‐twenties before I got to really play on a computer,’ he recalls. ‘My school didn’t have one when I started there—they eventually got a non‐display unit/typewriter terminal connected via modem to the local university—so I missed having the opportunity to have any lessons or formal training.’

While his school may have been behind the curve on technology, it did not suffer from any feelings of inadequacy: Michael Caine was a product of Grabowski’s school, although, Grabowski is quick to point out, ‘Not at the same time, he went there quite a few years before me!’

Once the Spectrum was introduced, it opened up a whole world of possibility for guys like Grabowski, whose imaginations lacked for nothing except an understanding of form: Before he could go about setting his ideas on microchip, he had to learn how to paint on this vast new canvass.

‘At this time, a group of people used to meet around my house one night a week and literally sit around the kitchen‐table learning about coding games,’ recalls Grabowski. ‘We were getting into Z80 {the ZX Spectrum’s microchip} assembly language—no fancy C compiler for the Spectrum …’

As it turned out, the Grabowski kitchen‐table would be the launching pad for more than one career in gaming: ‘One guy ended up in the United States working for Sony, and is still there today,’ says Grabowski. ‘Another person I met through the group—and one who had the biggest influence on my gaming career—was David Lester. David formed Impressions Software who {would become} my main publisher until it got sold to Sierra in the mid 1990s …’

Simon Bradbury, co‐owner of Firefly Studios, the developers of the Stronghold titles, also became a friend …

Grabowski’s first game was the logical extension of his life and interests to that point: A turn‐based strategy game with war as a setting and coded for the Sinclair: He named it Seventh Cavalry, described it as a tabletop wargame based around Custer’s defeat at the Little Big Horn, and went off to find a publisher.

53

In 1989, Grabowski hit gold when his Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager climbed—and climbed—the charts to finally peak at number one in the U.K.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

‘In the early days there were lots of start‐up publishers,’ recalls Grabowski, ‘and one, Black Knight Computers Limited, placed an advert for computer games in Personal Computer World. I replied, negotiated a royalty deal, and the rest, as they say, is history.’

Seventh Cavalry was not a big‐seller when it was released in 1985, but it did open doors along with instilling the confidence to pursue his burgeoning career: As the 1980s came to a close, he shifted his attention from the Sinclair onto the more lucrative markets afforded by the far‐more popular Atari and Commodore Amiga platforms.

His first game for those platforms would change the course of his life.

In 1989, Grabowski hit gold when his Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager climbed—and climbed—the charts to finally peak at number one in the U.K. ‘I’ve always liked soccer, and prefer simulations to action games,’ Grabowski explains, ‘so I fancied trying to create a soccer management sim: Having moved onto the Atari ST (and Commodore Amiga), I wanted to do one that utilized the mouse interface—the other (soccer management sims) that I had played lacked a slick interface.’

This success, coupled with the success of (1989’s) Gazza’s Super Soccer (if you were in the UK, that is: If you were in Sweden, it was Anders Limpar’s Super Soccer, and it was Bodo Illgner's Super Soccer if you were in Germany and Holland) enabled Grabowski to leave his job as a systems analyst and move into full‐time games development. The dream had come true: making games for a living was now a well‐paid reality.

Does Grabowski, though, have any regrets at not having stuck with football simulation that has seen developers such as SI Games become multi‐millionaires many times over?

‘No. I think I would get bored writing the same game all the time. There’re other franchises I would have preferred to have emulated, for example, Command & Conquer: They really enhanced the RTS genre.’

On the shoulders of his two big hits, Grabowski signed on to publishers Impressions at the start of the 1990s, and so was born a relationship that would last for half a decade, and encompass Grabowski’s most productive years, starting with Emperor of the Mines (1990), and ending with PowerHouse (1995). In between, Impressions and Grabowski published numerous titles familiar to anyone who was gaming in the 1990s—Merchant Colony, Edward Grabowski's The Blue & The Gray, Conquest of Japan …

‘Good old days,’ Grabowski recalls now. ‘You could ring {Impressions’ founder} David {Lester}, chat about what game you wanted to do, and agree on it there and then. You would then get a one‐page contract and away you went! Actually, working in a small group, in isolation, away from the frontline of sales—it is only many years later that you appreciate the success of the titles. At the time, I just appreciated the opportunity to develop games—which didn’t seem like work, and that’s why we were happy to put in the ridiculously long hours.’

‘Geoff Crammond’s GP was extremely successful, and MicroProse Europe thought it would be great to have a companion—but separate—title ...’

54

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

‘Edward Grabowski Communications Limited’ was founded in 1994 as a development studio: One year later, the golden era of Grabowski’s career was at an end. What had begun as a Wild West business had now matured into an ‘industry’, and smaller publishers like Impressions were being gobbled‐up by bigger entities, leaving small developers like Grabowski out in the cold.

‘I knew that Impressions was going to be sold, and started to look for a new publisher — that publisher turned out to be {Sid Meier’s} MicroProse,’ says Grabowski. ‘I greatly admired the games MicroProse produced (Sid Meier's games, the flight sims, X‐Com), and was extremely happy when they decided that they wanted to work with me.’

MicrProse’s approach to Grabowski is an example of the planets aligning in perfect synchronicity: MicroProse, by 1995, held the keys to one of that era’s most lucrative titles, Geoff Crammond’s Grand Prix series. Grand Prix 2 was scheduled for a late‐1995 release, and was the much‐anticipated follow‐up to Crammond’s incredibly successful 1991 sim, Grand Prix. It would feature state‐of‐the‐art physics and cutting‐edge graphics: Pick up any gaming magazine from that period and you will not fail to see dozens of screenshots of Crammond’s upcoming sim; and in 1995, they were impressive indeed. Those were the days, after all, when racing‐sims on the PC were the innovators in PC gaming; they came with handsome budgets, and none more so than GP2, which was guaranteed to be a massive hit.

MicroProse had decided to create a spin‐off game to Crammond’s simulator in order, one assumes, to extract every last dollar from their official FIA license: For this, they had the idea of creating a Formula One management sim, and for that, they needed a game designer who had experience in creating turn‐based sim‐management sports games … now, you can almost hear them ask, whatever happened to that guy who coded Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager?

‘Geoff Crammond's GP was extremely successful, and MicroProse Europe thought it would be great to have a companion—but separate—title based on the running of a F1 team,’ recalls Grabowski. ‘They asked me to do one—and I was happy to oblige! I was assigned a producer—Stephen Hand—and away we went.’

The title of the game would be Grand Prix Manager, and Grabowski set‐about absorbing as much information as he could on Formula One: ‘I mapped out what I saw as the key elements of F1,’ he explains, ‘then structured it to make it not too difficult to play: The top‐ down view, seeing the whole of the circuit, seemed a natural way for the race to be seen— especially for the manager.

‘To design the simulation,’ he continues, ‘I absorbed as much information as possible, taped and watched all the races, and spoke to people from AutoSport magazine. To create the physics, I wrote down all the variables that effect the speed of the car—covering driver attributes/ability, car design, plus condition and performance, track condition/location,

55

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

team orders, etcetera—and through research, I apportioned to each variable how much they effected car speed. Excel spreadsheets come in extremely handy when doing this sort of work. I then divided the variables into those that are fixed pre‐race, those that change per lap, and those that change every move/turn/second. This helps with game performance as not all the routine is calculated all the time. So having the car’s speed at any point in time, you then have to look at the car’s position on the track with regards to the car in front, and work out whether they can overtake or have to hold back. Having written the code, I then had to test it. Running the race over and over again, comparing lap times and asking the question: Is it realistic? If not, what part of the code/data needs tweaking to improve the result?’

This time‐consuming play resulted in some in‐game decisions such as, for instance, Grand Prix Manager featuring a time‐limit of only forty seasons.

‘I put limits on the game for several reasons,’ Grabowski explains. ‘One, {because} it is easier to design information screens if there is only a fixed amount of information to show, and two {because} the AI/physics might start to get really unrealistic over time, and finally, the time it takes to test! At the end of the project, MicroProse had between twenty and forty QA people playing the game, and they were struggling to play through all the permutations!’

Grand Prix Manager was a hit when it was released alongside Geoff Crammond’s Grand Prix 2: The two shared a design‐concept, box‐art, and absorbing manuals that were liberally sprinkled with Formula One photos and ‘insider’ bits’n’bobs. GPM would immediately leap into the top ten of the European charts, and, one year later, Grand Prix Manager 2—which Grabowski had coded using pretty‐much the same engine since he’d been contracted to do one a year—sold even better …

One of the reasons for the enormous success of these two titles was the fact that they came with an official FIA license: All the drivers, managers, back‐room staff, mechanics, sponsors, tyres, engines—you name it—were in the game. All, that is, except for one mysterious omission. Williams had just signed up Jacques Villeneuve for the 1996 F1 season.

Grand Prix Manager 2, however, did not have Jacques racing for Williams: Instead, they had a chap named John Newhouse, a relatively unknown driver who would, amazingly enough, retain his seat at Williams when MicroProse released Crammond’s Grand Prix 3 in 2000.

‘Unfortunately the FIA did not have the image rights for Jacques Villeneuve,’ Grabowski explains. ‘When Jacques joined F1, he kept his rights. I think MicroProse did try to do a deal with his management, but an agreement couldn't be done in time. In fact, one of the background shots had Jacques being sprayed with champagne, and we had to PhotoShop it out! The photograph of Newhouse is actually one of the programmers!’

56

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Legend

continued

Grand Prix Manager 2 never saw its successor the following season, and fans of the series had to wait four long years before they got hold of the third installment: When it came, the series had changed its name to Grand Prix World, and was published by Hasbro Interactive, who’d swallowed MicroProse in 1998 for $70 million.

Grabowski, again, was in charge, and this time he enjoyed access to the Arrows F1 team from whom, Grabowski says, they obtained lots of valuable data. The plan was to do a total revamp of Grand Prix Manager. Stirling Moss, meanwhile, was recruited to do the commentary.

‘We spent a day with him in a recording studio in London,’ recalls Grabowski. ‘He's a great man, really friendly, and very keen to do a good job.’

Grand Prix World also featured a big overhaul of the engine: ‘I did a complete update of the code for the race, and Stephen Hand did a complete re‐design of the management gameplay,’ Grabowski says.

Grand Prix World was released in 2000 to rave reviews. It is, without any doubt, the best motor‐racing management simulator ever created, and retains a loyal following to this day, with car‐sets still being created (you can follow this link for the 2009 season update) by fans ten years on. If you want to buy a new copy, you’ll need to fork over about U.S$150 …

‘Part of the deal with the FIA was that we couldn't do season updates for GPW,’ says Grabowski, ‘and so I'm not involved with the updates. But I never had any real issues with the FIA—they just want the sport to be treated with respect, and as long as you did that, they were happy.’

Grand Prix World was the final installment of Grabowski’s epic trilogy: It also brought the curtain down on his ‘big‐budget career’, after nigh‐on a million games sold. What happened?

‘The industry changed, and my style of working did not fit in,’ says Grabowski. ‘I prefer to work with a publisher who takes pretty much my entire output. When Hasbro, who bought MicroProse, suddenly retreated from gaming, I found myself with a team of twelve people who needed feeding, and no publisher. We tried to find one, but our game ideas weren’t picked up. We came close with a publisher or two, but the industry was consolidating, and one week you had a deal, the next week the publisher had been bought and you'd have to start from square one. The fun was also disappearing. I was finding it very hard to actually create a game—running a small company, you can end‐up spending so much time on corporate matters that you actually have very little time to create games.’

Ironic then that Hasbro—who by that time owned both Parker Brothers, and Waddingtons—would, in a roundabout way, lead to Grabowski’s semi‐retirement from game‐designing after affording him his greatest success.

Grabowski produced a few low‐key games that were made available off his website from ideas he had stuck into his bottom drawer through the years: Tactical Soccer, Tips and Traps (Greyhound racing sim), and the excellent Movie Studio Boss which is, Grabowski maintains, the GPM of the movie world (these, and others, are available from his website) before shutting down his PC and withdrawing from game development …

So what has he been up to for the last nine years?

‘I took things easy for a while,’ he says, ‘but an old business colleague called me up and wanted someone to find him some games to sell in the UK. So I’ve spent the last few years sourcing titles such as Space Rangers from 1C, and Euro Truck Simulator from SCS Software for him to publish.’

Grabowski, though, has not given up entirely on coding. ‘Currently most of my time is filled {sourcing titles}, but should I get more time, I think I would have a go. Throughout my career I’ve written mostly games that I think I’d like to play. I’ve been fortunate that enough people have played them to allow me to continue coding. I still have a few ideas left—and some of them do involve motor‐sports—so when time permits I will probably code again.’

Like many of the legendary coders, Grabowski sees the current gaming scene as awash in possibilities, in particular cell‐phone game apps: ‘I think it is a very exciting time. The internet/websites have replaced the coding magazines I once bought, and you can get development tools for the PC and the iPhone for very little, or free. Plus, you can self‐ publish for very little cost, so young people out there can now get on and create games!’

Looking back, what does he see as his biggest successes?

‘I really like how the GP management games turned out, but would say my most polished title is probably Grand Prix World. Air Bucks (1992) was interesting (about running an airline), and was nominated by Computer Gaming World for Strategy Game of the Year—I think the winner that year was Command & Conquer. Of my RTS titles, Conquest of Japan (1993) worked well as a game, and I was pleased with The Blue & The Gray (1993). My most ambitious title was probably When Two Worlds War—written in 1993, you could play that game using voice recognition if you had the appropriate soundcard, and it featured a small programming language that you could use to control the flight of your spaceships! In units sold, though, I would say Grand Prix Manager 2 {was my biggest seller}—although all three GPM titles sold very similar quantities.’

And how many games has he really sold in his career?

‘900,000. And counting,’ he replies …

57

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

ED GRABOWSKI: A LIFE IN GAMES Grand Prix World February 2000 Hasbro Interactive Fields of Fire September 1998 Empire Grand Prix Manager 2 November 1996 MicroProse Grand Prix Manager December 1995 MicroProse PowerHouse May 1995 Impressions

D‐Day The Beginning of the End May 1994 Impressions Edward Grabowski's The Blue & The Gray September 1993 Impressions When Two Worlds War June 1993 Impressions Conquest of Japan January 1993 Impressions Air Bucks September 1992 Impressions Great Napoleonic Battles 1992 Impressions Fort Apache 1992 Impressions Charge of the Light Brigade 1991 Impressions 58

Merchant Colony 1991 Impressions Cohort 1991 Impressions Rorke's Drift 1990 Impressions Gazza's Super Soccer 1990 Empire SuperLeague Soccer 1990 Impressions Emperor of the Mines 1990 Impressions Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager 1989 Cognito Seventh Cavalry 1985 Black Knight Computers Limited

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

59

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SuperCar Challenge Preview

SPECIAL REPORT

Jon Denton takes a stroll into Mayfair and lines up his Maserati MC12 at Spa to beta‐test the sim‐credibility of System 3’s follow‐up to what many believe to be the best simulator available on the next‐gen (or any gen’) console, Ferrari Challenge

JONDENTON

60

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SPECIAL REPORT SuperCar Challenge Preview

continued

Last year’s console‐racer Ferrari Challenge {See AUTOSIMSPORT’s review in Vol4, Issue 4—Ed} was one of the surprises of the year for me. A thoroughly enjoyable racer with a genuine lean toward simulation, it offered a mouth‐watering selection of Ferraris along with some beautifully rendered real‐world circuits, and remains, to this day, my ‘armchair racer’ of choice. Whenever we get a chance, my mates and I will sit about racing this one online, and it is guaranteed to end in smiles all round.

It was of some interest to me, then, when I noted earlier this year that developer System 3 were working on a follow‐up title to Ferrari Challenge—titled SuperCar Challenge—which is due to hit the shelves for the PlayStation 3 in August. It was with even of more interest, though, when I took up an invitation to pay the London‐based developer a visit at their Mayfair office for a sneaky test of a ‘recent’ beta.

Ensconced in the System 3 offices, in front of a rather huge LCD TV, I got to take the reigns of a Maserati MC12 at Spa, as well as a run in a Ferrari FXX at Monza: Which was apt, since I did not fail to notice the bonnet from a Ferrari Enzo in a display cabinet by the front door (yes, I could tell you how it got there, and where the rest of the Enzo is, but I’d prefer not to: Let’s just say the developers take their testing rather too seriously!).

The first thing I noticed as I pulled away (in simulation mode) for my first lap in the Maserati was that I was back to the comfortable surrounds of Ferrari Challenge, at least as far as the feel of the game is concerned: Hardly surprising, of course, since the two games share the same engine developed by coders Eutechnyx and is, to my way of thinking, the most ‘natural’‐feeling physics engine available for any racer on the PlayStation 3. Indeed, unlike most console‐based titles, the cars in SuperCar Challenge feel ‘right’: They have a certain weight to them that translates well, and once up to speed, they can be nicely balanced through a corner. Whilst the tyre model doesn’t hold up to

61

the levels set by iRacing or netKarPro, the vehicle dynamics are as good as anything on the console—if not better.

The tracks are very nicely rendered, and colour saturation issues—one of the only disappointments found in Ferrari Challenge—is no longer present. There is a huge amount of detail off‐track, too, and the circuits really feel alive, certainly an improvement over Gran Turismo’s staid, clinical environments. They lend SportsCar Challenge a wonderful atmosphere, in particular for the race events you will be taking part in: Leaves scatter across the track, air horns blow, and all of this eye‐candy helps lock your imagination into a decadent world where you get to race the world’s most costly and jaw‐dropping supercars on some of the planet’s finest racing circuits.

They are all in there too, the cars you will be driving: A selection of favoured Ferraris imported from Ferrari Challenge line up alongside Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Bugattis, Koeniggseggs, Paganis, and multi‐million dollar McLarens. Porsche, however, as ever, are conspicuous by their absence, doubtlessly retaining their brand licence for some manner of woeful arcade pap.

The cockpit‐view has also been improved, now providing a perfect driving position as you peer over the steering wheel, and the interior view really allows you to enjoy the gloriously sampled sounds of the various throbbing V8s, 12s, and 16s. The audio engineers have faithfully captured the sounds of these cars, making each lap—and blipped throttle—an aural pleasure.

It is clear that System 3 have taken a long honest look at Ferrari Challenge, and come to all the right conclusions: They have kept (and tweaked) the best physics‐engine in class, and worked hard to resolve all of its niggling faults.

The result is the best racing experience currently available for the PlayStation 3.

With lap after lap of Spa being reeled off without me noticing, I was suddenly made aware that there was someone else in the room: I popped‐up my eyes and glanced away from the screen into which I had been lost for countless lonely laps. ‘I could do this all day,’ I thought to myself as I stood up. And then it hit me: Had I really spent that long hot‐lapping on a console sim? That’s a first for me, but I had found myself really wanting to keep pushing to find the limits of the MC12, and the physics engine that was purring like a hot tune‐up under the skin of this … sim?

Alas, it was time to go, and I had to leave Spa behind for a while. I will be back, though, with some serious time under the bonnet, to see what this sim can really offer. Look out for my full review next issue for what is promising to be that rare event in console‐racing: A game that not only pretends to be a sim, not only aspires to be a sim, but may actually succeed at it.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SPECIAL REPORT SuperCar Challenge Preview

continued

Ferrari 365 GTB 4‘Daytona’ Production period: 1968‐1973: Number built: 1,284 Engine: V12 60°: Maximum power 352BHP@7,500RPM: Performance: Top speed 280KPH: 0‐100 in 6.1secs Original price: $19,500: Current Price: $250,000‐300,000

In the 1980s, the car gained new notoriety on the first two seasons of NBC's hit television series Miami Vice. The black car used in the series was a replica built on a Corvette chassis. Ferrari execs were not pleased that their company and one of their products was represented on TV by an imitation car. The Daytona replica was eventually destroyed on‐screen and replaced with a Ferrari Testarossa, the company's newest model during the time. (Source: Wikipedia) H

62

H

H

www.autosimsport.net

H

Volume 5 Number 2

SPECIAL REPORT SuperCar Challenge Preview

continued

The Low‐Down —True HD: 1080p graphical display.

—Affective Weather: realistic rain results in slippery curbs, increased braking distances, slippery grass, standing water, back spray from opponent cars, increased opponent errors and of course, it looks very pretty!

—Over 40 different cars ranging from the Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, to the Aston Martin DB9, to the McLaren F1, to our previous favourite the Ferrari FXX. —Over 20 tracks, from favourites such as Silverstone and Nürburgring to less well known greats such as Mugello Italy.

—Challenge Mode: this career mode allows you to tour the globe taking on the various racing challenges that are thrown at you. Whether that means simply taking pole, completing a race with no damage or simply staying on the track in wet conditions, you’ll be scored on every aspect of your race. This score will then translate into Race Points, which you can use to buy new cars for your showroom, test drive new cars or buy one of the many livery packs and vinyl elements intended for car decoration.

—16‐Player Online: buy your car, customise it in the showroom and then take it out to battle the world. Enjoy intense 16‐ player races against gamers from all over the world. Either set up your own conditions (from penalties, to assists, to race length, to weather) or join someone else's lobby!

—Other Modes: Tournament mode, Arcade mode, Quick Race and Time Trial!

—Vinyl Shop: Ferrari Challenge’s praised livery creation tool has been taken and improved considerably, allowing you to design and place your own logos on any car in your showroom.

—Expert Tutorials: Top Gear and 5th Gear’s Tiff Needell will be recording full voiceovers for the game, including tutorials for 16 of the toughest racks in the game.

—Dynamic AI: rival drivers will get better or worse depending on how you race so you’ll always have a decent challenge going on around you. Of course, should you wish to have consistent AI you can switch this mode off. Drivers will also have their own battles with or without your influence and will make mistakes even if they’re half a lap ahead or behind you.

—Graphical Overhaul: in terms of textures, poly counts, scenery, backdrops, particle effects and (perhaps most importantly) framerate, everything has been improved.

—Improved sound: every engine rev, screech and impact has been tirelessly recorded and re‐recorded on the field.

63

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SPECIAL REPORT SuperCar Challenge Preview

continued

WE HAVE TEN BETA‐ENTRY COMPS TO GIVE‐AWAY: BE THE FIRST TO RACE THE PLAYSTATION 3’S BEST SIM BY SIMPLY SENDING AN EMAIL TO BETACOMP@AUTOSIMSPORT.NET WITH YOUR NAME, AND www.autosimsport.net 64 Volume 5 Number 2 WE’LL SEND YOU THE CODE! FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!

TRACK LIST

Spa, Belgium; Infinion Sprint, USA; Vallelunga, Italy; Homestead Oval, USA; Mugello Sports, Italy; Hockenheim, Germany; Silverstone Southern, GB; Virginia, USA; Homestead Infield, USA; Monza, Italy; Mont Tremblant, Canada; Paul Ricard, France; California, USA; ld, USA; Monza, Italy; Mont Tremblant, Canada; Paul Ricard, France; California, USA; Misano, Italy; Redwood Park, Canada; Infinion, USA; Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, GB; Mugello Internazionale, Italy; Nürburgring, Germany; Riviera, France; California Oval, USA; Silve65rstone National, GB. www.autosimsport.net Volume 5 Number 2

CAR LIST

Aston Martin DBR9; Koenigsegg CCX; Maserati MC12; McLaren F1; Mercedes SLR; Pagani Zonda F;Bugatti Veyron EB; Chevrolet Corvette C6R; Ferrari California; Ferrari F50 GT; Enzo Ferrari; F430 Challenge; 250 GTO; FXX; 575 GTC; 575M Maranello; F333 SP; 365 GTB / 4 Comp;

348 TB; 250 Testa Rossa. 250 LM; 550 Maranello GT; 550 Maranello; 360 GT; 360 Modena; F355 Berlinetta; 512 S; 512 M; F355 Challenge; F430 GT2; 348 Challenge; F40; F50; GTO; F330 P4; F365 GTS4; 430 Scuderia; F430 Spider; F512M 94; 599 GTB Fiorano; 612 Scaglietti; 612 System 3; 599XX; Stirling Moss Mclaren SLR . www.autosimsport.net 66 Volume 5 Number 2 (cars and track list subject to change)

Inside

AUTOSIMSPORT

67

rFactor 2 & SuperLeague With Gjon Camaj AUTOSIMSPORT caught up with ISI’s Gjon Camaj in an undisclosed location somewhere in Eastern Europe to talk rFactor2, and SuperLeague formula, the first officially‐licensed ISI sim in a decade … as it turned out, though, we landed up doing most of the talking! www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Inside rFactor 2 & SuperLeague With Gjon Camaj

continued

AUTOSIMSPORT: How far a departure will the new physics engine be from the current ISI‐code? Can we expect a significant overhaul from the ISI‐base that has been with us for close to a decade now?

GJON CAMAJ: There will definitely be some significant, immediately noticeable changes in the most important areas. Other improvements may be pushed to subsequent releases.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will current mods be instantly convertible to rFactor2? If not, will you be releasing a ‘quick‐ fix’ solution to allow older mods to run in rF2?

GJON CAMAJ: No, there will not be any {drag} and drop method for converting rF1 to rF2. But we have not done anything specific to prevent assets coming over.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Modders have been working on self‐ made editors for the ISI engine. Some of them had the expertise and experience to do full‐blown commercial simulators, such as rFactorPro: Is rF2 an evolution based on this work? How much of PRO will we find in rF2? And is PRO’s development alongside real racing teams being tapped by rF2?

AUTOSIMSPORT: The design of rF2: Will we see an attempt by ISI to simplify modding, or will we see a deepening of the parameters that will allow modders to get far more technical with their mods? What has the experience of rF1 taught ISI? Do modders want depth—or ease‐of‐use?

GJON CAMAJ: Good question. We are currently attempting to place more order on aspects of the asset creation and delivery. At the same time, we continue to add depth to the overall simulation so there is more to fiddle with.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Most of the documentation of the physics engine in rF1 was based on the text files comments, but an enormous amount of work has been done to better understand the values and how the physics engine works since its initial release. Will you be providing specific physics editors and documentation this time?

GJON CAMAJ: Ah … hmmm … probably not.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Can you discuss what role modders have played in the construction of rF2?

GJON CAMAJ: We {are} yet to really utilize mod teams to the fullest, only because our base level development continues.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Erm … well … anyway, are you going to put an option to force drivers to use clutch or proper rev’ matching in order to change a gear? Different gear change timings depending on the gear selected (in other words, a fourth to third down‐change should be easier and faster than second to first, and so forth)? Clutch consumption?

Gear failures, different differential types (or at least giving the UI flexibility to simulate, for example, ramps)?

GJON CAMAJ: As you know, it was possible in rF1 to engage a gear without rev’ matching even without the auto‐clutch aid. This will no longer be true, so disallowing that aid will effectively be that option. I believe the required timings will happen naturally at that point. We hope to add some additional damage modes and differential types.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will we see a visual editor for basic suspension geometry creation? For example, showing in real‐time where the Center of Rotation is, and how it moves, and what the camber and toe is doing on bump and rebound?

GJON CAMAJ: I do not think we will be providing this, at least upon first release.

‘The physics rate may be increased or decreased for certain mods, but most vehicles can be captured accurately at the default rate of 400Hz. We have already added basic multi‐threading to allow physics to truly run real‐time (with virtually instantaneous Force‐Feedback). Other optimizations are in the pipeline.’

GJON CAMAJ: There is a common base, but the work in PRO is specific to the ways teams utilize engineering software. Therefore there is and will continue to be a growing feature set that is only available in PRO. However, work being done there cannot help but benefit all aspects of the code.

68

AUTOSIMSPORT: Regarding variable weather: Will we have wind this time? Rain? Evolving track surface?

GJON CAMAJ: Yes, but I am not elaborating at this time.

AUTOSIMSPORT: The next holy grail of sim‐racing is, of course, the accurately modeled gearbox— GJON CAMAJ: I’m guessing you are being facetious here?

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will we be offered the use of damper graphs (table look‐up?) instead of a fixed value as it is now?

GJON CAMAJ: This isn’t the highest priority, but hopefully this will be included in addition to some damper hysteresis (non‐instantaneous reaction to velocity changes).

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will we see variable stiffness springs?

GJON CAMAJ: Yes.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Inside rFactor 2 & SuperLeague With Gjon Camaj

continued

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will we see the introduction of driver in‐ car changeable antiroll bar stiffness?

GJON CAMAJ: Not sure yet.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Perhaps not a physics question but one which everyone has been aching to know: Will we see any kind of interactive cockpit?

GJON CAMAJ: If you mean, animated drivers, then yes.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Naturally the key to rF2 will be in its tyre‐model. How extensive is the overhaul here? Can it/will it support multiple contact points per tyre? Slightly Mad

truly run real‐time (with virtually instantaneous Force‐ Feedback). Other optimizations are in the pipeline.

The question about different rates for different parts of the physics is an interesting one. We are aware that some others are doing this, but technically it doesn’t make mathematical sense for a connected system (a high‐ frequency vibration in one wheel can be felt anywhere else on the vehicle unless that frequency is specifically damped out somewhere along the line). That’s not to say you can’t hack it to work acceptably; we have done it ourselves—our AI physics has run at a different rate in most of ISI’s titles which only needs to be resolved during a collision when the

Will we see any such feature? Something akin to specific telemetry that gives you signs that something is wrong such as, for example, an extremely wide camber gain range, or bump steer or under‐damped suspension? In other words, a debug feature that has a realistic range (from street cars to race cars) which, should the modder over‐reach, will, when you go out of the sim (in debug mode) tell you, ‘hey you’re doing it wrong!’ At the very least some sort of Lint like program that could cross‐ check the physics variables against one another and produce warnings if something seems fishy.

GJON CAMAJ: I am not sure if something like this will be

‘rF1 positions itself squarely in the sim‐racing and sim‐building business. I never really look at those two as competing. No reason to have a great modding system if the end product cannot be fully realized and enjoyed. Also, in many ways, we {are} consumers of the modding system just like anyone else, so we build accordingly.’

Studios’ head Ian Bell said their new Need For Speed: SHIFT sim will have tyre flats and tyre deflection animations, calculated by the G‐forces (as in LFS). rF2’s answer to this?

GJON CAMAJ: We will have a whole new tyre model with a few bells and whistles.

AUTOSIMSPORT: What is the physics rate in Hz for the purposes of our ongoing pub discussion? And will rF2 support multi‐threading for multiple CPUs and GPUs? And, finally, will it support different rates for different parts of the physics—in other words, high rate for tyres, lower rate for springs, aero, and so forth?

GJON CAMAJ: The physics rate may be increased or decreased for certain mods, but most vehicles can be captured accurately at the default rate of 400Hz. We have already added basic multi‐threading to allow physics to

69

two systems are connected.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will we see an improvement in the damage model for both bodywork and mechanics? Will we see a more comprehensive damage model on engines—oil pressure, for example (we already have animated oil pressure dials in rF1). Will we see electronics damage from overheating? More detailed tyre wear with visual representation? For example, if you have excessive toe you could get graining, and if you overheat the tyre, you could get blistering? Will we have our suspension and tyres break after a high or continuous jump.

GJON CAMAJ: These are all good suggestions, but at the time of this writing we have not made significant progress in these areas.

AUTOSIMSPORT: A debug mode for the physics is something than many modders have been asking for:

available upon the initial release. We would like to do some basic verification, but I doubt it will be so extensive and complicated that it will prevent all unwanted physics‐ related issues.

AUTOSIMSPORT: From a construction perspective, ISI are in a unique position since they must cater for both sim‐ racers and sim‐modders: While they overlap, there are also many parts of departure between these two core customer bases: How does ISI ally these two contrasting needs?

Which, if we had to put up a pie‐chart, would be the most important—in terms of the overall design concepts—for rF2 GJON CAMAJ: Good point. rF1 positions itself squarely in the sim‐racing and sim‐building business. I never really look at those two as competing. No reason to have a great modding system if the end product cannot be fully realized

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Inside rFactor 2 & SuperLeague With Gjon Camaj

continued

and enjoyed. Also, in many ways, we {are} consumers of the modding system just like anyone else, so we build accordingly.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Any chance of proper loose surface modelling?

GJON CAMAJ: Unlikely for release.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Last month came the announcement that you’re creating a sim for the SuperLeague formula series: How did ISI come to get this deal?

GJON CAMAJ: Long story….

AUTOSIMSPORT: Can you give us a bit of insight as to what we can expect from the sim? Will it feature all the tracks?

GJON CAMAJ: The goal is to have the complete season.

‘We will have a whole new tyre model with a few bells and whistles.’

AUTOSIMSPORT: What length tracks can realistically be run—at a good level of detail, and not on a super computer.

Will we be able to build the Mille Miglia with rF2?

GJON CAMAJ: There are very few technical limitations, so I would certainly attempt just about anything. The only real question is, how many different machines you want it to run on?

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will there be the flexibility to place pace notes?

GJON CAMAJ: This sounds like a great third‐party graphics plugin.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Is any co‐operation taking place with Brendon Pywell in order to allow ‘Bob’s Track Builder’ to be of the most use to track makers straight off the bat?

GJON CAMAJ: We are still cooperating with ourselves to get our tools to work … but given his talent, I can’t imagine it being a difficult step forward this tool.

AUTOSIMSPORT: GTR2 had rain, but modders were having issues changing the sound of the tyre rolling and scrub between dry and rain wet surface. It would be a great addition to immersion if this could happen in rF2 …

GJON CAMAJ: They should have been able to do this …

70

AUTOSIMSPORT: The cars are rather exciting, basically Champ Cars, can you tell us a bit on how you are going about the research?

GJON CAMAJ: We have been able to get much of the technical data from the manufacturers, something a little easier to do with these types of series.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will this be a pre‐rFactor2 sim—or is it based on the engine for rF1?

GJON CAMAJ: There are no easily defined borders with rF, but this one is based on the production code base rather than anything rF2‐related.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will it be a free download, or will it be a purchase‐only product?

GJON CAMAJ: The specifics have yet to be finalized.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Any plans to run it as part of rF2?

GJON CAMAJ: Not for the initial release.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Is this sim designed as a ‘gimmick’ for the Superleague, or has ISI been given the ability to create a sim‐like experience.

GJON CAMAJ: Everyone involved wants it to be accessible to most fans, but this is not very different from the other titles we have done.

www.autosimsport.net

AUTOSIMSPORT: Will this delay the production of rF2?

GJON CAMAJ: No, rF2 can delay itself just fine. We are using mostly external people for this project.

AUTOSIMSPORT: This is the first licensed product by ISI in almost a decade—does this signal a return to that sort of development for ISI? GJON CAMAJ: We pick up projects as it makes sense at the time. We are always {interested} in anything motor‐sports related. Certainly licensed products have lots of constraints so, in some cases, are less attractive. But we go where we think we can provide something meaningful and it’s fun to work on.

Volume 5 Number 2

iOpener’s First Foray Into Real‐Time Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

AUTOSIMSPORT

Readers of this magazine will recall that, precisely one year ago, we profiled iOpener’s fascinating real‐time technology that had secured the company a European Space Agency Business incubation initiative: At that time, the concept was still in its initial throes, but as of a month ago, iOpener’s patented technology took a major step forward when it signed up as a partner to SimBin’s next simulator, and announced its intention to co‐operate with the next installment of World Rally Championship. The astounding day, then, when sim‐racers the world‐over will be afforded the remarkable opportunity of competing—from their race‐rigs, at home, and in real‐time—against real racers at real events, is upon us … AutoSimSport sat down with iOpener’s CEO Andy Lürling, and Christophe Dujarric, to find out how such a thing is even possible, while rFactorPro’s Chris Hoyle explains his project’s involvement in what is, without a doubt, one the biggest technological leaps we’ve seen in gaming for many a year …

BOBSIMMERMAN

71

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Real‐Time iOpener’s First Foray Into Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

continued

IOPENER‐ENABLED: WHAT IS IT? NEXT GENERATION OF GAMING What can create a more optimal experience than the integration of real ‘objects’ into the virtual world, and the possibility of playing in real‐time live against the real ‘objects’?

With this visionary idea, iOpener devised a new technology which is reflected and defined in its patent.

RACE LIVE AGAINST THE REAL PROFESSIONALS This innovative technological breakthrough enables gamers to join games and compare themselves with the professionals (one‐on‐one), and compete in real‐time directly against professionals (one‐to‐many) when an actual live event is going on. Gamers will be able to join the excitement and suspense of the real event, and try to beat real professionals and other virtual gamers right from their own homes.

INITIAL FOCUS ON RACE GAMES Market reaction has been phenomenal towards this new exciting value‐added feature in the gaming world, and the concept can be leveraged for all games involving real moving objects. The initial focus is on race games, though in the near future other genres will be addressed, for example, flight simulators, and ‘serious’ gaming.

APPLICATIONS FOR MOTOR‐SPORTS Besides injecting real race cars driven by real drivers on real tracks into games, including inserting special developed algorithms for an optimal race experience, the iOpener technology is used for several applications in the motor‐sports industries, for example, race/safety control, visualization, and driver training.

IOPENER: WHO ARE THEY? iOpener is a young dynamic organisation headquartered in Aachen (Germany), with an R&D office at the Delft University of Technology in Delft (the Netherlands).

In 2007, iOpener successfully participated in the European Space Agency Business incubation initiative.

Backed by a seasoned venture capitalist, iOpener is active in the games and motor‐sports industries. The company is shaping up to become the leader in providing and facilitating real‐ time data into a wide spectrum of applications. Through its patented technology, including satellite navigation systems, this range extends over games, driver training, and visualization. iOpener is constantly exploring new creative ways in using new technologies to improve the user/consumer experience in both the real and virtual world. Though the focus of the group is on its main product: the iOpener Enabled feature.

The award‐winning organisation brings together an international team of seasoned professionals with backgrounds in Internet, Telecom, Satellite Navigation, Marketing and Gaming, and is ready for the era where the real world and virtual world integrate.

72

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Real‐Time iOpener’s First Foray Into Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

continued

There was a time, back in the mid‐1990s, when sim‐racing titles were guaranteed to push the graphic envelope of that era’s PCs: That aspect of our genre has, alas, long since switched over to the consoles, where titles like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsports lead the way on graphical ‘wizadry’ of the new‐gen systems: Our developers, meanwhile, have turned to new arenas of technological excellence; laser‐ scanned tracks, intricately modelled physics, and the always innovative world of modding that has led to products such as rFactorPro, Racer, and nKPro. We can now add to this list a concept that will soon become a household phrase: ‘iOpener‐Enabled’, which will debut in a SimBin sim perhaps even as early as this year. Consider it: Sim‐racers firing up their latest SimBin sim and dicing against real drivers in real cars on real tracks—in real‐ time—on their computer screens: An amazing leap in our sport, and one that— but half‐a‐decade ago—would have been met with cries of derision had anyone even thought of mentioning it as a possibility.

So how does it work, and what can we expect?

73

AUTOSIMSORT: It’s almost exactly a year since last we spoke—since then, iOpener has taken some rather large steps toward implementing what was then but an intriguing concept: Indeed, I think it is now safe to say that you have taken the leap from an idea into a genuine product that we will soon be seeing in two upcoming releases. Before we talk about your involvement with that, can we begin by discussing what has happened in the last year, in terms of your software development? What have you been working on, how have you arrived at the product you have now, and can you give us a brief breakdown of how you have gone about testing your product?

ANDY LÜRLING: Indeed, a lot has happened. One year ago our technology had already proved that it was possible for a gamer to compete in real‐time against a professional who was, at that very same moment, driving on the real race track. Though up ‘til that point we hadn’t yet integrated the feature in a top‐level racing simulator, and hadn’t tested the technology during a real race event.

At the end of August 2008, during the 24Hrs of Zolder (Belgium), we installed our technology in the Marcos Mantis of Moritz Racing. During the full race, we could record the performance of that team, but also get the very first taste of taking part in a real event from behind a PC. This was not only additional proof for the technological feasibility, but also, and just as importantly, for the gaming experience.

People testing the game were totally excited! Besides this event, we had many tests on the Zolder Circuit.

Since then, we have been fine‐tuning our technology and AI modules with the support of Chris Hoyle’s rFactorPro, as you can see on the videos available on the web. This enabled us to get where we are now: Soon the public will be able to try out an iOpener‐Enabled racing game for the very first time.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Chris, could you give us a quick description of your—and rFactorPro’s—involvement with iOpener?

CHRIS HOYLE: I met the guys from iOpener in June last year—they were looking to achieve something for the gaming community that we had already achieved in real‐life with rFactorPro, namely injecting real cars into a simulator. rFactorPro can inject an entire grid of real cars, for example taking the telemetry streams that might be available over a race weekend, and injecting those cars onto the track. The facility is very stable, and is in use not just for visualisation of telemetry but for visualising manoeuvres simulated off‐ line, for example standard ‘J‐turns’ or lane‐changes..

As we had a working solution, we worked with iOpener for about three months over winter ’08/’09 helping them get their ‘orange box’ data running live. This gave them a platform where they could concentrate on their hardware, communications and AI while streaming the data into rFPro to make sure it looked accurate and behaved properly when the gamer is on‐track, too.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Andy, could you tell us a bit more about this ‘orange box’, and how it works?

ANDY LÜRLING: Initially we researched into hardware which could meet our requirements. Our conclusion was that such a box didn’t yet exist. Therefore we developed our own ‘orange box’, as we call the in‐car equipment. This orange box combines a high accuracy GPS with an Inertial Measurement Unit (providing high accuracy acceleration and rotation data on the three axis) for reaching optimal positioning and orientation of the object. In addition to this, the ‘orange box’ gathers telemetry data of the CAN‐bus (the engine’s computer). The combined data is first sent to the ground through radio communication and then via the servers on the track to the peoples’ living room.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Real‐Time iOpener’s First Foray Into Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

continued

AUTOSIMSORT: Could we go back to May of 2008 when you conducted a test with an Arrows F1 car at Zolder: Can you explain to us why you go testing, and what results/data you’re collecting when you go testing, and how this reflects back onto your real‐time live play?

ANDY LÜRLING: We have been developing a new innovative technology {and} as with all development projects, this includes a lot of testing of the software, hardware and configurations: While the first tests were mostly aimed at finding bugs, the current testing of the initial product is more about optimizing, and trying‐out future upgrades of the technology. We test with different cars to see the effect on our technology, and to learn how our technology is best optimized for the different circumstances.

The development and all the testing results in the best possible delivery of our real‐time live play (named ‘iOpener‐ Enabled’) to the gamers, giving them the most immersive experience you can imagine as a {sim‐racer}.

We are constantly optimizing the balance between reality and fun. Indeed, we believe that the most exciting experience for the gamer is to be able to fully interact with the real drivers, but we also want that the real cars’ position and behaviour to stick as close as possible to reality. The feedback of the beta‐testers in this respect will be taken very seriously.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Now that you mention beta‐testers: Are there still slots available for the beta‐test programme and, if so, how do our readers apply? And can you confirm that they will be testing an iOpener‐ Enabled SimBin game?

ANDY LÜRLING: Real‐time Racing, by SimBin and iOpener, will {begin} beta‐test starting at the end of September, where 5,000 gamers will have the possibility to try the game and {our} feature, and give feedback. The slots are

74

not assigned yet, everybody who registers today and until September can be part of the beta. Gamers who are interested just need to fill in the form at www.realtimeracing.com. The testers will be selected amongst the people who registered.

The test will encompass both testing the SimBin game, as well as the iOpener‐Enabled feature. During the beta‐test period, iOpener Enabled events will be organised where the 5,000 beta‐testers will be able to race live against the real drivers. Also, they will have the opportunity to select stored races and play. Initially, the Zolder Circuit, in Belgium, will be the first track, though more tracks will be added.

AUTOSIMSPORT: You have also been out in Sepang discussing opportunities with the F1 track management there: Without asking too many details (unless you’re able to divulge them!), could you explain what kinds of opportunities your product would be able to offer to race facilities world‐wide?

ANDY LÜRLING: Without giving {out} names at the moment, several race tracks have shown a clear interest in working with us. Racetracks nowadays are looking for opportunities on how they can expand their business models. Most new tracks not only consist of tarmac and pit buildings anymore: They are multi‐purpose event/entertainment parks. The existing circuits see this, and are also trying to go into this ‘upgrade’ development. Based on its patented basic technology, iOpener has been developing more motor‐sport‐related applications. Think of real‐time data analysis and driver training modules: Not entirely new, of course, but in combination with the entertainment part bringing not only the main but all events to the living room, {iOpener can} offer a complete digital solution to the tracks.

www.autosimsport.net

‘In a broad sense, our feature enables a spectator to be part of a real event, in a virtual world, and interact with it. As we are a young company, we chose to focus on motor‐ sports for now, though one can easily think of other genres, {such as} flight simulators, snowboarding, and for exercising and educational games. Since we started this project, we have been contacted by many people having very diverse ideas on how to use our feature in various industries.’

Volume 5 Number 2

Real‐Time iOpener’s First Foray Into Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

continued

AUTOSIMSPORT: You’ve attended a fair‐few Gaming Conventions in the last year in addition to your real‐world motor‐sports work: Can you brief us on what kind of other genres the iOpener‐Enabled feature could attract? How far do you anticipate taking real‐time live play? Are you committed only to sports, or does the possibility exist in other genres such as perhaps turned‐based war games and so forth?

ANDY LÜRLING: In a broad sense, our feature enables a spectator to be part of a real event, in a virtual world, and interact with it. As we are a young company, we chose to focus on motor‐sports for now, though one can easily think of other genres, {such as} flight simulators, snowboarding, and for exercising and educational games. Since we started this project, we have been contacted by many people having very diverse ideas on how to use our feature in various industries.

AUTOSIMSPORT: You had a ‘stress‐test’ at the Zolder race. Can you describe to us what this, in fact, entailed?

What is a stress‐test when it comes to your product?

ANDY LÜRLING: For every test we have clear objectives. One of the main objectives of the test during the 24Hrs of Zolder was to see how the hardware we install in the cars would react to such a harsh environment. In the end, we were more concerned about the pilot’s health than our hardware itself! It didn’t show any failure while we measured an extreme temperature of 68°C in the cockpit. On the software’s side, it was the best occasion to generate a lot of data coming in real‐time to our servers and then to the game’s interface. A unique occasion to test everything we needed in a ‘real environment’.

AUTOSIMSPORT: The next instalment of World Rally Championship will come iOpener‐Enabled. The promise is

75

for virtual sim‐racers to be able to compete against real rally drivers in real‐time. Considering the problems rally is having with a TV‐audience—that is, the difficulty of following an event live—this may well be the ultimate feature to enable fans to follow the race—not to mention the doors it opens for sim‐racers’ immersion. Can you describe how this will work? Is it live timing? Will we be able to race against the best, at the same time, on our PCs, running the self‐same courses and comparing times with the real drivers, live? What are the features you have been asked to work on in WRC?

ANDY LÜRLING: We are happy to notice how many people are excited about having an iOpener‐Enabled WRC game, {but} we have to ask for some patience before we can disclose details. The WRC‐chairman has mentioned that the theme of the game will be ‘racing against your rally heroes’, so one can imagine what it will entail when iOpener’s feature is integrated in that game: Compare yourself with Sébastien Loeb while he is driving his rally stage in the real world ... The stages will be accurate, and the timing also.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Closer to the sim‐racer’s heart, of course, is your recent announcement that the next SimBin sim will be iOpener‐Enabled. Can you describe how this partnership came about?

ANDY LÜRLING: It came quite naturally: SimBin are one of most appreciated race game developers in the market, and are eager to evolve and improve. For iOpener, the most logical introduction to the gamer’s market would be with one of the best race‐game developers. Both SimBin and iOpener’s vision towards the future of race gaming, as well as towards the co‐ operation, are very {much} aligned. We very much look forward {to} what the future of this co‐operation will bring to the gamer communities, and the motor‐sports industry.

As you can imagine we are in contact with quite a few developers for several projects, and in the future, co‐ operation with more developers is to be expected. In the end, we believe that all race games should be iOpener‐ Enabled to give gamers the opportunity to compare and compete with the real drivers, in real cars on the real tracks all over the globe.

AUTOSIMSPORT: What can we expect from the next SimBin sim now that it is iOpener‐Enabled? Can you describe—in as much detail as you are permitted—precisely what will be on offer here? Are we talking about the ability to race live against real‐world drivers? Or are we talking about races that have already been run, in a ‘scenario’‐ based way?

ANDY LÜRLING: Real‐time racing will enable gamers to race against the professionals both live and against stored data.

AUTOSIMSPORT: Now that you have ‘joined’ the motor‐ sports industry—albeit in its virtual form—do you see any applications for your technology in the real‐world? And if so, what and how?

ANDY LÜRLING: Being in good contact with race series, race tracks, and race teams, we realised that, based on our core technology, we can deliver value‐added products to the motor‐sport industries. Think of driver training modules, race track safety control, and real‐time data analysis. …

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

IF Real‐Time YOU WANT TO BETAFirst ‐TEST THE IOPENER‐E NABLED iOpener’s Foray Into Sim‐Racing Is In Sight

NEW SIMBIN SIM, CLICK THE BANNER BELOW … continued

76

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Odd’n’Ends

Rumblings and ramblings and odds’n’ends and quotes and other meaningless tripe from the world of motor‐sports …

Toolbox

AUTOSIMSPORT

77

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Toolbox Odd’n’Ends

continued

The How To Lose Your The Best F1 Blog & Job In One Day Dept.

Twitter Page Dept.

‘When a driver lacks results, he opens the book of excuses and begins: the fault is the weather's, a spectator's sunglasses, a spin on the straight, this and that ...’

Renault F1’s Flavio Briatore to Italian magazine Autosprint on his driver Nelson Piquet Jr. ‘Flavio is a business man, but he doesn't understand shit about F1. … He only thinks about money, only thinks about how much money he can pocket in everything he's involved with: he's a man with no friends. Every day everyone asks me what's going on, so why should I always keep quiet?’ Piquet Jr. to the self‐same magazine … now was that a rhetorical question? …

78

The nice thing about Nelson Piquet Jr’s blog is that, well, he has the self‐same kit (and I mean almost precisely!) as the editor of this rag: Of course, one has his apartment in Monaco, while the other is in Manhattan, but still! Nelson also has some great photos on this blog …

Jenson Button also has a Twitter page—except that his is boring.

But then, what did you expect?

It’s called ‘the real JB’ making us wonder … who is the false one?

Surely not the guy about to win the world championship?

Meanwhile his team‐mate at Brawn GP, Rubens Barrichello, has an altogether more interesting Twitter page: He has www.autosimsport.net

over 93,000 followers does our Rubens: But who, we wonder, does he follow?

Not AUTOSIMSPORT! Ex‐F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya also has a Twitter page, on which he demonstrates an amazing ability to communicate with his 15,000 followers: Today, for instance, he tells us: ‘spent some time in the jacuzzi with the kids and some friends had a good time. tomorrow flying to pocono, will what i do in the morning!!’ … Erm, okay then!

Even McLaren‐Mercedes have a Twitter page now: And theirs is quite interesting since they actually bother replying to some of their fans’ questions: Alas, they only have 8,000 followers.

Go figure …

Volume 5 Number 2

Side‐by‐Side

LIME ROCK PARK

IVANASKEW

On a particularly dismal Monday morning in mid‐June, Ivan Askew was driving south on Route 7—surely one of the most gorgeous stretches of road in the U.S.— when a detour (and a downed‐bridge) took him through the splendid rolling‐hills of Connecticut, through South Canaan, past Salisbury, and into the hamlet of Lime Rock: The Lime Rock, as it turned out. So he did what any other self‐respecting race fan would do in the circumstance: He climbed the fence …

79

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Side‐by‐Side LIME ROCK PARK

continued

It’s not quite what one expects of a world‐class race track: But it is as gorgeous as they say …

The ‘Northeast’ is the most densely populated slice of real‐ estate on the American continent—a megalopolis that runs (roughly) from Boston in the north to Philadelphia in the south and with New York City somewhere in‐between—so it’s perplexing that there are hardly any world‐class motor‐ racing facilities about. Indeed, Lime Rock Park may well be the premier racing facility for a population of fifty million or so, leading one to expect some state‐of‐the‐art racing facility existing at the track dubbed the ‘Road Racing Center of the East’.

80

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Side‐by‐Side LIME ROCK PARK

continued

You can always sense a track that has taken life: Call it what you must, but you can sense it here, and it came as no surprise to discover that Lime Rock Park has killed: Eleven men went out and never came back here, the first on Independence Day in 1958, the last in 2005: In 1998, Lime Rock Park took the life of three drivers, two within a week of each other.

After a bit of looking—and thinking—you soon realize the source of this abandonment, this loneliness: There are no grandstands, no bleachers, not a‐one, anywhere on this track.

It’s as if the track exists solely for those who seek to tame it, alone and unseen. Under its bucolic beauty, you begin to think, lurks something both appealing and disturbing.

It’s a bit of a shock then when you drive into a tiny water‐logged parking lot set amidst a forest of deep‐green, splendid farmland, and some form of hippy hothouse set just off the entrance‐gate: Out here, the silence descends almost oppressively beneath a canopy of leaves as you climb a rickety‐old fence in the sure knowledge that there isn’t another soul anywhere in sight (or so I hoped …).

On the other side of the fence, a sliver of asphalt dips away under a bridge, and you’re suddenly overcome by a feeling of despondency: An inimitably disembodied sentiment that seems utterly out of place in the midst of such natural splendour. Race tracks the world over have a sense of themselves, a sense of the fear and the drama now merely a whisper of a story told not in words but carried in the air; Lime Rock Park is no different.

You can always sense a track that has taken life: Call it what you must, but you can sense it here, and it came as no surprise to discover that Lime Rock Park has killed: Eleven men went out and never came back here, the first on Independence Day in 1958, the last in 2005: In 1998, Lime Rock Park took the life of three drivers, two within a week of each other …

81

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Side‐by‐Side LIME ROCK PARK

continued

82

The next thing you realize is—this track is implausibly narrow as it undulates through a canvass of rich verdant green and down some grim hills that dip away into the unknown: You virtually have to stand on the precipice to see over the ridge that leads down into the final turn. They call it a park, and the name is not misplaced: The crowds—were they here today—would be sitting on the natural banks around the circuit, and are surely afforded some extreme and intimate scenery: seeing the whites of the drivers’ eyes as they test their mettle against this track must be a common sight for the audience perched but two or three metres from the track.

There is also precious little run‐off area: A driver, I suspect, is offered plenty of opportunity to contemplate the nature of his courage as he comes tearing into those turns, particularly on the downhill run to the final right‐hander: Get it wrong in there, and there’s precious little in the way of protection on the other side. Which may well be why there is a cemetery located just outside the access road to the midfield; a mellow little place with a stone church under a parchment of fine old trees … convenient indeed …

The track is owned, nowadays, by the legendary John ‘Skip’ Barber, who started his internationally‐known motor‐sports training school here back in the mid‐1970s, and it hosts—astonishingly when you see how small the place is—all sorts of major races, such as the ALMS, Trans‐Am, and the Grand‐Am series, as well as club‐races and historics: Paul Newman was a staple here on Sunday afternoons a decade ago, and the track plays regular host to the rich and famous of the East Coast.

The track, then, has come a long way since the days when its designer, builder, and local farm‐boy Jim Vaill would race about the gravel pit on Sunday mornings with his buddies, tearing up the ground of what would become, a few years later, Lime Rock Park.

Sam Posey quoted Vaill as saying, in Posey’s seminal ‘Lime Rock Park: 35 Years of Racing’, that one ‘Sunday in the spring of 1955, we were sitting there eating onion sandwiches and drinking beer and these people from the SCCA showed up to find out about our race track.’

‘Race track?’ asked Vaill, who had never considered anything along those lines in his life; but as he and the SCCA members (one of whom, Bill Lloyd, was a Sebring winner) walked about the undulating land, he began to envisage just such a thing. With the aid of an aerial photo, Vaill penciled‐in the design for his race track using the natural contours (and the bits of forest he knew he would not be able to bulldoze away) as the defining guide, and with the power of a Caterpillar bulldozer, he physically scythed away anything and everything in the way of his track: Mostly single‐handedly, he bulldozed away the dirt and trees and even re‐routed the small river that flowed inconveniently over his chosen layout by simply dumping the dirt he had shifted straight into it.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Side‐by‐Side LIME ROCK PARK

continued

A small footnote to history is that one of the men who became involved with the project—strictly for fun, of course, and no payment necessary, thanks very much—was a chap called William Milliken: Regular readers will no doubt recognize the name as the most important ‘theorist’ in the art of simulating vehicle design, and the guru of many of the men who build our simulators today. It was he who helped re‐chart some of the track in order to retain its speed but, at the same time—this being 1955, at the height of the Le Mans tragedy—advocating the safety features of the layout: Milliken believed the track ought to be quick, scary, but safe.

A flood, a hurricane, and near financial disaster later, and the track was ready for 1957: unfortunately, its macadam surface wasn’t; during the track’s first meeting (an SCCA driver’s school meet on April 20), it broke up entirely. Not to be outdone by such a simple oversight, Veill—along with a local contractor—set about asphalting the track: A week later, Lime Rock Park was ready for its first officially‐sanctioned event which attracted 16,000 spectators and, afterward, an offer of $150,000 for Vaill to sell the track on the spot. He turned it down, choosing, instead, to focus his attention on making Lime Rock Park into the most important racing facility in the Northeast.

Fifty‐two years later, the venue remains one of the most delightful and demanding road tracks in the U.S., and continues to host top‐level motor‐racing series. ‘Skip’ Barber is now the sole owner of the place (he sold his school in the early 2000s, but retained control of the track), and he invested solidly over the course of 2005‐2006 to build new fencing, tyre‐walls, and generally upgraded the whole place to how it appeared to me that morning in mid‐June.

On these pages sometime ago, we reported that Dave Kaemmer held some sort of track record in a Skip Barber here: I don’t know the man, but having walked this track, I think I can safely say he has a pair on him—I really do imagine this track could scare the bejesus out of a man at speed. But it would do so, of course, in a most genteel, pastoral way, inviting you in, further and deeper into that malevolent green …

83

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REAL VS. SIM: LIME ROCK IN IRACING

Side‐by‐Side LIME ROCK PARK continued

Lime Rock has seen a lot of work done since iRacing laser‐scanned the track, as Sandeep Banerjee shows us …

84

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

85

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

86

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

87

WE NEED YOUR HELP: IF YOU SEE VALUE, WE WOULD VALUE YOUR HELP DONATE BY CLICKING HERE … www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries

TeleMetry

NIELSHEUSINKVELD BOBSIMMERMAN

Niels Heusinkveld is one of the handful of independent magicians that live on the boundary of sim‐racing creating assets for our hobby that always leave the community wondering—how the hell did he think that up? Bob Simmerman caught up with the legend that is ‘Niels_at_home’ to discover the secrets behind Heusinkveld Engineering (and some of his clients like GP2 teams), and his rather clever TREX physics creator …

88

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

Educated in Groningen, twenty‐nine year old Niels Heusinkveld, founder of Heusinkveld Engineering, provides services on both the hardware and software side of sim‐racing for both professional racers, and sim‐racing hobbyists. Niels is a member of that elite (and minuscule) sector of our community who have found—by their sheer brilliance—commercial ways of advancing sim‐racing’s status within the world of motor‐sports, and his TREX physics creator promises a whole new dawn for how sims are physically created …

Who Is Niels_at_home?

I’m Niels Heusinkveld, for some reason going by the Niels_at_home nickname on most forums and GPL chat rooms since the year 2000. I’m 29 at the time of writing, and a few years ago I got my mechanical engineering degree. Hardcore AutoSimSport readers might recall I wrote an article on the now‐famous load cell‐based brake pedal a few years ago. I’ve been trying to create better wheels and pedals ever since I got started in sim‐racing in the late 1980s.

Up until about 2002 I mostly played Grand Prix Legends, made the respectable sub‐7:50 lap time at the ’Ring, and enjoyed driving the now‐legendary ‘Masters Of GPL’ league. Often I found myself being outraced by Greger Huttu and the likes even though I ran a Lotus and he ran a much slower BRM! After the GPL era, I didn’t play too many sims. A bit of Live For Speed, the occasional attempt at a SimBin title, and some Richard Burns Rally. Speaking of which, the most fun I’ve had since GPL was running Eero’s (RBR‐physics coder and now a Slightly Mad Studios employee) Drivers Republic when it was in an early testing phase, and before all work ended on that project when he was snatched up by Ian Bell for a paying gig.

I Hate ISI Physics As GPL aged, and I got a bit more knowledgeable on the physics side of racing, I started to get a bit frustrated by the lack of improvements in new sims. As much as I would’ve liked to, I couldn’t enjoy driving sims like GTL and GTR, and my sim‐driving was as occasional as it was frustrating between 2002‐2006. I always felt something was badly wrong with SimBin’s early sims.

At first my response to the frustrating SimBin and rFactor experience was to attack the developers, which I did with my infamous ‘I hate ISI physics’ avatar MS paint job.

ISI’s Gjon {Camaj} replied in style with his own ‘I don’t like Niels’ type of avatar. While this was all firmly tongue in cheek, it does point out how far we’ve come as I now regularly talk with Gjon on MSN. This coming together was a process that started late 2006 where I changed my attitude to a much more useful one: Instead of big‐mouthing, I started to dive into the physics files to try and improve the car handling. Little did I know what I’d gotten myself into!

‘The truth is that most cars we drive in a sim are not based on as much real data as people say they are. However, vehicle dynamics is science; there are always methods to come up with very good values even when real data is lacking. The skill required for this, though, is considerable. People using Notepad to change physics are guaranteed to get it wrong most of the time, which is, in my opinion, reflected in the majority of titles and mods we can purchase and download. I’m not judging their graphics quality or ‘fun factor’, but simply concentrating on the physics properties I often see.’

89

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics Come With Plenty Of Footnotes It was very difficult and frustrating trying to tweak certain numbers in the daunting physics files. After hundreds of hours I still couldn’t get consistent results. All of the important physics parameters influence one other, and my initial approach, I soon realized, was wrong: I zoomed in on just one aspect, for example the tyres, and did not look at the suspension geometry which later turned out to be all wrong. I got myself into the biggest challenge I have ever faced: I had to make sense of hundreds of parameters while trying to keep a bird’s eye view of everything.

In order to achieve this, the ‘to do’ list was rather scary. I had to learn about vehicle dynamics by reading 600‐plus page books such as the Bible, Milliken’s ‘Race Car Vehicle Dynamics’. Reading, though, proved not to be enough; the material had to make sense to me. It’s easy to vaguely understand a chart or theory, but you only truly understand things when you’re able to explain it to someone else. Luckily the sim‐racing community is blessed with people such as Gregor Veble and Todd Wasson whose knowledge when it comes to vehicle dynamics helped me understand some of the more important aspects of a vehicle’s behaviour.

The next step was to learn more about the rFactor physics files. Sure there are numbers in there, but often they don’t directly apply to the car. Numbers go into an equation, the output of which is being applied to the car. With Bristow’s large physics threads at the ‘RSC’ forums, I began creating spreadsheets that turned the numbers into charts, curves, tables, and sensible values. ISI was also helpful in providing crucial information. With the clever CarFactory tool, I began creating believable suspension geometries, and using RealFeel threw the Force‐Feedback problems out of the window.

It was now time for the next step.

The rFactor‐Excel Super Spreadsheet: TREX For Dummies (And Geniuses!)

I wanted to put all the spreadsheets together in one large file, building a complete car physics with it, and saving the physics files with a click of a button. For this I needed an incentive for which the HistorX mod team would prove just the people. I would create the GTC76 class cars, fourteen touring cars ranging from front‐to ‐mid to rear –engined, and from 800 to 1,400Kgs. I wasn’t going to use Notepad; it all had to be done in the spreadsheet.

After some persuasion, I managed to get two months off work (unpaid!). Working fulltime, I created what I now call TREX (Tool Rfactor EXcel) which has grown to be an eighteen megabyte Excel spreadsheet that spits out up to fourteen complete physics sets. It is an impressive thing, if I may brag so myself! I had combined a fairly solid base of vehicle

dynamics knowledge with ISI physics engine knowledge in a tool that puts these together and creates physics files.

To put this into perspective of time, this whole process started late 2006, and is still continuing every day. The learning experience never stops; I’ve fixed bugs, been wrong on many things, and improved many other things. The best thing about all this is the continuous progress I see in the cars that I build. When I started, I couldn’t see progress by just editing parameters in Notepad. Now though, I’m satisfied as I can clearly see the cars improve as I learn more about vehicle dynamics and update TREX to include this knowledge.

90

www.autosimsport.net

‘TREX tries to be clever, and when I create a 275/35R18 street tyre, it will create physics properties that match the street tyre data that I already have. The same goes for slicks or semi‐slicks; by interpolating between known data, TREX comes up with reliable parameters that are all based on the few accurate data sets that I have. So when creating fourteen cars, I enter their physical dimensions and compound softness, and based on this, TREX will decide on their properties and create the .TBC file for each car.’

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

Niels has worked on many mods and sims: These are just a sampling …

TREX Tyres are probably the most important aspect of any car. They have things in common, such as being mostly round, but other tyre data is hard to find. Many books simply have inaccurate data and charts that came out of an artist’s pen instead of a testing facility such as Calspan. Thankfully I did obtain accurate data for modern street tyres, and the aforementioned ‘Race Car Vehicle Dynamics’ has usable data for racing tyres. TREX tries to be clever, and when I create a 275/35R18 street tyre, it will create physics properties that match the street tyre data that I already have. The same goes for slicks or semi‐slicks; by interpolating between known data, TREX comes up with reliable parameters that are all based on the few accurate data sets that I have. So when creating fourteen cars, I enter their physical dimensions and compound softness, and based on this, TREX will decide on their properties and create the .TBC file for each car.

This also means that, when I change the tyre brewing formula and curves, all tyres on all cars are altered. In the case of the fourteen historic touring cars, tyre changes will apply to front, mid‐ and ‐rear engined cars of varying weight. If the tyre fundamentals are right, they should make any sort of car work well. This is a major step up from creating individual tyres for each car, trying to make the car handle. I create tyres that should have logical properties that simply make them work, based on real data—or at least educated guesses.

TREX also does simpler things. Based on the engine power and aerodynamic drag, it will predict the car’s top speed. It can also make a default gearbox, adjustable or not, that will make the car reach this top speed. Regarding aerodynamics, it will calculate the downforce or lift results for the car at minimum, average, and maximum wing settings, so you know the downforce levels without driving a lap. Another handy thing is that it can also assign car setup limits and the number of ‘clicks’ available for each car setup parameter. If I want the default front rollbar to have a rate of 100kN/m with fifty percent tweaking range over eleven clicks, TREX will save the files in such a way that this happens. I don’t have to figure out that this physics line has to look like ‘FrontAntiswayRange=(50000,10000,11)’. TREX will do that. It also looks at the suspension compression due to aerodynamics so you know the springs are too weak if downforce pushes the car onto the ground at 100mph. Naturally these are just some examples of what TREX can do.

How Close Is Real?

I would go as far as saying that creating accurate real‐life physics is hard, and often impossible. What I mean is that there is rarely enough data available to create a truly realistic

91

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

car. However, it is certainly possible to create a good approximation as long as you can combine known data with properly‐founded vehicle dynamics assumptions for the unknown bits. I see many mods that claim to have been created using real data and real telemetry. This might be true, but often I see the ‘zooming in’ problem I mentioned earlier. Perhaps you have the real suspension 3D data, but you create tyres that simply can’t exist. Yes, you’ve used real data, but no, this car doesn’t drive properly because it will only do so when all aspects make sense.

In the end, vehicle dynamics is the answer, and you can create a good approximation of any type of car with just the main Googled parameters and common sense. If, on top of this, you managed to find a torque curve or some tyre slip data, that is excellent, but not an absolute requirement. What I mean is; if you have quite a few bits of real data but lack the vehicle dynamics skills and knowledge, you’re likely to end up with a worse car than someone with the proper knowledge but no real data at all.

Often even the rudimentary data you would require is non‐existent. I have no inertia data of any racing car, nor do I know how high the centre‐of‐gravity sits in the car. This is rather essential for weight transfer, yet this is already an area where common sense and vehicle dynamics are required to make a good estimation. Also, you are unlikely to find detailed aerodynamic properties, so pretty soon the car engineer in you has to look at wing area and make assumptions regarding downforce levels. Also, there is probably no detailed tyre data available, and it takes knowledge to decide on grip levels, peak slip values, and load sensitivity. These are just a few aspects that you won’t be able to find for ninety‐eight percent of the cars, yet they are absolutely vital. A known torque curve is nice, but relatively worthless when you go wrong with the abovementioned values. And it sure is easy to go wrong with them!

The truth is that most cars we drive in a sim are not based on as much real data as people say they are. However, vehicle dynamics is science; there are always methods to come up with very good values even when real data is lacking. The skill required for this, though, is considerable.

People using Notepad to change physics are guaranteed to get it wrong most of the time, which is, in my opinion, reflected in the majority of titles and mods we can purchase and download. I’m not judging their graphics quality or ‘fun factor’, but simply concentrating on the physics properties I often see.

Compromises: PC Power vs. Reality Back in 2002, I tried the free sim Racer, which had a processor occupancy screen showing the processor load split into graphics, sounds, and physics. Even with the physics running at 1000 Hz, my 1 GHz CPU only had to spend twelve percent of its time doing the physics calculations. While Racer didn’t have the most complex physics engines, it does demonstrate how much you can do with today’s multi‐core 3 GHz machines.

‘TREX also does simpler things. Based on the engine power and aerodynamic drag, it will predict the car’s top speed. It can also make a default gearbox, adjustable or not, that will make the car reach this top speed. Regarding aerodynamics, it will calculate the downforce or lift results for the car at minimum, average, and maximum wing settings, so you know the downforce levels without driving a lap.

Another handy thing is that it can also assign car setup limits and the number of ‘clicks’ available for each car setup parameter. If I want the default front rollbar to have a rate of 100kN/m with fifty percent tweaking range over eleven clicks, TREX will save the files in such a way that this happens.’

92

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

believable, realistic ranges. The sum of a few small changes, however, can change the car handling noticeably. At this point, it is easy to get stuck and try dozens of small changes, judging them subjectively by driving the cars until the early hours. The reality, though, is that your driving gets worse as the clock ticks and ticks, and it is very hard to properly judge those small changes you’ve applied.

At this point, the ‘masochism lights’ should start flashing, and it would be a good idea to stop, release the cars as they are, and only come back to them after you’ve gained enough knowledge or found enough data to make significant improvement to them. When you’re stuck in a tweak/drive/tweak/drive loop, your actions are likely to get more random, and the hours you spend are probably not effective. Better cars come from increased knowledge, and engineering, not from driving countless of hours with a few percent more this, and a few percent less that.

Did I Mention I Hate ISI Physics?

A major thing in ISI’s sims is the absence of a ‘debug’ mode. When I talk to other sim‐ developers on MSN, they say they added a few pages of physics parameters that are visible as you drive, and that makes sense since it is really time‐consuming and frustrating that, for every change to the tyres (or any other physics parameter), you have to completely quit rFactor, make that change, and then re‐start the sim again. Sure this is only a minute or so, but modders have thousands of those a year! On the other hand, it did fuel thoughts that

Having mentioned how the main problem is the lack of available car data, I don’t really see much use in making the physics engine more complex because soon you’ll be adding all sorts of parameters which you then can’t find data for, and of course there is the holy grail of real‐time fluid dynamics aerodynamic models (for which even professional racing teams struggle under in their wind tunnel and computer calculations). Not only is processing power far too weak for this, even if it would be sufficient, the margin of error and complexity of fluid dynamics might well do more harm than good.

While physics programming is not my area, I’m convinced that today’s computing power is enough to deal with very decent real‐time physics models of tyres, suspensions, aerodynamics, and all the other parts that make a car. In an ideal world, we’d have one hundred percent trustworthy data on all the aspects of a car, but in my opinion this will often be the weak link, more so than the computing power available.

When Is Enough Accuracy Enough?

You never know when you have gone as far as you can go with physics modeling given a specific sim or game engine. It sure is risky to release a car and claim it’s realistic and all super‐duper when two weeks later you discover that the aerodynamics are fifty percent off.

It has happened, and it kind of makes your initial claims somewhat dubious. I’ve been there plenty of times, thinking the car was about as good as it could get, only to find a few major issues with it later. If you look at this positively, it can be seen as a sign of increased

‘Numbers go into an equation, the output of which is being applied to the car.’ knowledge that made you spot an error that you didn’t know existed a few weeks earlier. It also makes it impossible to say when you’ve gotten the maximum out of the simulation.

It is likely that you can never reach the maximum given the fact that there is always room for improvement in your own knowledge and the simulation physics. This is also what makes creating car physics such an interesting and never ending challenge, though sometimes you could call it a masochistic one ...

I probably have to explain this physics masochism a bit better to avoid getting in all sorts of trouble. There comes a point where you’ve created cars, test driven them, and have some feedback from the beta testers and everything looks fine. At this point, you still have a few percent of playing range with many of the parameters, while still keeping them within

would end with the creation of some spreadsheets where the numbers are made by reason and logic, instead of having the luxury to randomly change values inside the simulation.

The biggest issue, though, was figuring out the underlying equations and formulas so I could draw, for instance, the tyre charts in a spreadsheet. That changes the modding from tweaking to designing, as I can see the tyre properties graphically without having to drive.

Reading Bristow’s ‘RSCnet’ threads on the physics files, getting in touch with a pretty helpful few people at ISI, slowly made me translate the physics engine partly into Excel. All the major car components and how they are implemented in ISI’s physics engine are known.

This means I can now create a car without driving one yard, and I’ll know that it’ll have a top speed of 350km/h, and that the downforce will push the car under‐tray onto the road at 320km/h. I

93

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

also know that the engine will last two hours at 8,000RPM but only two seconds at 12,000RPM. I can see that the downforce at the minimum settings is 500Kg at 250km/h, and 900Kg at the maximum setting, with a front‐rear distribution of 40/60. I know that the tyres peak at seven degrees and the rear tyres are larger and provide five percent more grip. I can also see that the tyre stiffness is about 750lbs/degree at 1000lbs load, in accordance to Formula One data that is available. I could go on … but you can see that quite a few engineering bits of the car are known.

A good example of how this works is something that happened a few days ago. I was driving a car and checking the telemetry. I saw greater deceleration G‐forces than I thought were possible, and, fearing that something was wrong with the equations somewhere, I started to sweat. Using telemetry, the car was doing 200km/h as it decelerated at 1.29G. The tyre loads are also visible in the telemetry, and with those known, I can look up the maximum tyre grip on each corner that is available to slow the car down. The tyres alone could only have slowed the car down at about 1.24G. Where on earth were the other 0.05G coming from? Then I thought about aerodynamic drag which adds a fair bit of deceleration at speeds of 200km/h. Now it all made sense, the theoretical maximum brake G‐force was now 1.299, slightly higher than I actually pulled off on the track.

So finding out how all the important physics ‘bits’ are modeled was a great task. As for limitations, there are very few. On forums there are plenty of threads saying how the physics engine isn’t fully realistic which makes entering realistic values useless. This is often heard, and the result is people use Notepad to create cars. I had thought the same, but every time I learn more about the underlying physics and about vehicle dynamics, the cars improve noticeably. While it is true that no physics engine is perfect, you can go a long way before you truly reached the maximum achievable realism. It is really easy to blame it on a dysfunctional physics engine where, in truth, it is more often a lack of knowledge and understanding.

I’m only sure of one thing that isn’t done all that well in the rFactor physics engine, and that is how the tyres perform when there is both a cornering and acceleration or braking force present on the tyre. Either braking into a turn or accelerating out of a corner, the driven tyres are asked to provide grip for the cornering and grip for the acceleration. The ISI developers are honest enough to admit that certain phenomena that occur in real‐life aren’t modeled very well in the physics engine. I’m sure they are looking into it for rFactor2 though, and it will be very interesting to see how this will change the subtle feel of the car in these combined slip conditions. Speaking of rFactor2, I can’t wait to put my cars to the test. In theory, when cars are made as realistically as possible, it should be very easy to adapt them to a new version of the simulation. I expect to change little or no data in order to make the cars work with rFactor2, and they should instantly benefit from the increased realism the tyre model will hopefully bring. It will be exciting to see how that goes!

The Physics’ Guy’s Sim Of Choice There is only one real modding platform in my opinion, and that is rFactor. What I don’t understand is that there are mods for all ISI based sims, where in fact GTL, and GTR2 are just rFactor 0.9 underneath. It would make more sense to me if people left these games as they are and did the modding for rFactor. Plus there are a few physics benefits in rFactor 1.2.5.5 compared to the other releases.

Other sims such as Richard Burns Rally and GPL can be modded but less is known about all the physics parameters. They seem like a more daunting Notepad affair while with rFactor there is enough information on the physics to actually engineer cars.

94

www.autosimsport.net

‘On forums there are plenty of threads saying how the physics engine isn’t fully realistic which makes entering realistic values useless. This is often heard, and the result is people use Notepad to create cars. I had thought the same, but every time I learn more about the underlying physics and about vehicle dynamics, the cars improve noticeably. While it is true that no physics engine is perfect, you can go a long way before you truly reached the maximum achievable realism.’

Volume 5 Number 2

TeleMetry The Code Of The Cells And Other Mysteries continued

Heusinkveld Engineering The idea for Heusinkveld Engineering started a few months ago when I lost a night’s sleep thinking up my first G25 pedal product, the PAD {which is reviewed in this issue— Ed}. I thought that, if I was going to sell sim‐racing hardware, why not create a website where I offer more sim‐racing related products. After all, I’ve spent thousands of hours creating cars and tools, why not try and put the blood, sweat and tears this cost to work for some commercial activities. The website is split into a software and hardware section.

The software section is aimed at simulation developers (i.e. iRacing.com, ISI, SimBin, Polyphony) as I believe I can efficiently create the physics for lots of cars, while still managing them and being able to apply changes based on newly‐found data or beta testing reports. Most new racing sims have a broad range and large number of vehicles the player can drive, and I believe my strength lies in using common sense, tools and real data to quickly create and manage a full set of cars you might find in the latest chart topping simulation.

Physics are, after all, universal, so if the physics engine is from ISI or iRacing or Live For Speed, it won’t change the approach needed to create the cars. In this section I also advertise creating a single car for a racing team or a track‐day enthusiast. By spending more time recreating a single car in great detail, verifying real telemetry against the simulation and working with the driver and engineer, a cost‐effective driver training tool is added to the team’s inventory.

The hardware section is where I hope to sell interesting products such as add‐ons to existing wheel and pedal units. My first product, the PAD, is on sale. It allows you to reposition the G25 pedals for more realism and/or comfort. I’m also developing a load cell upgrade that will fit into the G25 pedal unit. This is a pretty complex product featuring electronics, advanced miniature load cell technology, and precise engineering.

It still only lives on paper but it looks promising and, if all goes well, I hope to have a working prototype somewhere in the last quarter of 2009. After all, I played a considerable role when load cells were first applied to brake pedals in 2005, it is about time I did something with them!

Of course, as with most sim‐racing engineering firms, I have some interesting customers, and on my site you will be able to see some of them, like the GP2 team I work with. What I can’t tell you about are some interesting hardware projects, and a few more physics jobs I’m currently getting into …

95

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

96

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

97

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

98

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

Futurist

The FIA‐GT Championship draws the curtain down on Oschersleben after a decade of great racing at the highly technical German circuit: Marco La Mura, and Uwe Schürkamp attended the farewell race in mid‐June and caught up with past‐winners, and future stars …

UWESCHÜRKAMP MARCOLAMURA

99

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

MARC HENNERICI

Twenty‐seven year old Marc Hennerici is a German driver who has competed in everything from Formula BMW, the Alfa Romeo 147 Cup , the ‘DMSB Produktionswagen Meisterschaft’ series, the World Touring Car Championship series (where he won the Independents Trophy), the VLN series, and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. He currently competes in ADAC GT Masters.

By chance, Marco and I note Marc’s name on the GT‐entry list racing a Ford GT for the British Matech team. I know Marc to be an avid sim‐racer (he regularly posts to the simracers.de forum), and I instantly harbour high‐hopes for (a) an interview and (b) and an interview that will make for a refreshing break from the usual, ‘No, I don’t use those pesky racing games because they’re useless to the professional racing driver and they will forever remain so,’ routine we have become accustomed to over the years while interviewing race drivers for this magazine.

Grabbing hold of Marc, however, proves to be a daunting task. While the team’s stylish prominent bronze race truck catches the eye of every passer‐by walking the paddock, Marc appears and disappears like a ghost within the team’s pits throughout the weekend, apparently using some form of classified teleporting device that sees him float in and out the garage doors untouched by anyone—including us, AutoSimSport’s intrepid reporters.

Time and again, as Marc comes within our range, he vanishes just like that, leaving us wondering: ‘Is he available for the interview now’?

‘No, sorry, he’s out for lunch,’ we’re eventually informed by someone we take to be his girlfriend, a pretty girl who is sporting one of those ‘Puck the Fly’ shades that Victoria Beckham popularized and which has transformed every pit‐lovely into some sort of ghastly insect look‐alike ever since.

At one point, we’re ten minutes short of actually making contact, but another assignment keeps us longer than expected, and when we arrive at the back of the number forty car’s pits, he’s—guess what?— gone again, this time for cake and coffee.

100

‘At the moment, he’s experimenting with NVIDIA’s new line of the 3D shutter glasses, and he loves the effect because, “The cockpit looks just like in real‐life, and the immersion and sense of speed the 3D effects provide allows much better feedback than anything else I’ve tried before.’”

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

101

We’re beginning to get a good idea of his eating habits and his love for pastries by now, and mentally I prepare myself to look out for someone resembling either Bud Spencer or Mr. T from the ‘A‐Team’ as we have no idea what he looks like in real life: Can he, we wonder, be a carbon‐copy of NASCAR‐era Montoya?

On Saturday evening, the team’s manager finally informs us that Marc has not only left the building, but the entire circuit, since the car was withdrawn from qualifying due to an engine problem: With no debriefing scheduled that evening, Marc has decided to call it a day, but had—we were told—left strict instructions that we were to drop by the pits following the FIA GT warm‐up on Sunday morning.

We duly return the next morning, and, sure enough, Marc is nowhere to be found. So we wait, and wait, and finally, with twenty minutes left before the start of the race, we corner one of the mechanics—looking busy and stressed—and ask him if he’s seen Marc. He doesn’t have any answers, isn’t even sure whether Marc’s around, or where he could be (probably eating, we think!), and suggests we stick around since, you know, chances are he’s bound to turn up to get into his car for the race!

We lumber around the Matech pits, taking random photos and trying as best as we can to keep out of the way of the team’s preparations for the race. In my camera‐ scope, I find a beacon of hope in the form of a colorful helmet labeled ‘M. Hennerici’ on a cabinet of tools. One thing is for certain, I think: Where there’s a helmet there will probably be a driver, sooner or later, and so I pretty‐much chain myself to that cabinet and wait with my hand on his helmet, just in case it begins to move under an invisible hand.

A few minutes later, there is our Marc, sipping a drink from a straw‐pierced bottle as he steps nonchalantly to his helmet beside me, a smile plastered on his face. I watch as he strides away with helmet in hand, walking toward his car as the countdown dips to five minutes before the green.

Marco and I decide to follow him onto the grid (at this point, we're not even sure we have the proper credentials for the “pit walk” phase), by which time he’s busy talking to people, here and there, and we have only a couple of minutes left to get an interview, so I decide to drop in on his conversation like a Brit‐tabloid journalist. I introduce myself as a fellow forum member, and sure enough he seems to remember my name from some of the messages we have exchanged, and, sure he can spare a couple of minutes to answer our questions, but, you know, we should really have asked him sooner!

It turns out that Marc has an extensive knowledge of racing‐sims; he’s an iRacing member (‘love the physics’), has recently tried netKarPro, races GTR Evo, and rFactor (the VLN mod is one of his favourites, he says).

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

At the moment, he’s experimenting with NVIDIA’s new line of the 3D shutter glasses, and he loves the effect because, ‘The cockpit looks just like in real‐life, and the immersion and sense of speed the 3D effects provide allows much better feedback than anything else I’ve tried before.’

I express both my delight and surprise at his knowledge of sims: Usually, I tell him, his colleagues know next to nothing about sims, and only talk of ‘games’ and ‘PlayStation’.

Marc throws us a wicked, secretive smile. ‘You know what? The longer the guys out there,’ he waves his hand at the grid where a full‐cast of GT cars are now surrounded by busy crews, grid girls, and professional race drivers, ‘stay clueless about current sims, the better for me.’

Asked to elaborate on what makes sim‐racing valuable for him, the German states that, ‘The mental processes of putting down a fast lap, like a lap brought down to the point in each and every corner—braking, turning in, accelerating—are basically the same as in real‐ life. Also, one can really improve the consistency by using sims. And, of course, the means required are, on the whole, much cheaper and more economic than real‐life track test time.’

Needless to say, the better your mental skills when entering a real car, the better one can focus on the aspects of the real‐world, like G‐force feedback, and the seat‐of‐the‐pants feel, setup work, and similar issues, and Marc is convinced that he can find these solutions within today’s simulators.

Marc surprises us by announcing that he also races in a commercially backed ‘e‐sports’ team, and he thinks it’s an ideal means for chosen sponsors to make their name and brand known within the tech‐savvy racing community, an aspect of our sport that is only bound to grow over the coming years, as he explains: ‘For my sponsors, backing such a venture commercially is a logical progression from print media and other forms of advertising.’

With that, we wish him all the best for the race as we’re being ushered off the grid by officials, and as we shake hands, I can only marvel at how cool he remains when, in only one‐ hundred seconds from now, he’ll be revving the throttle in the Matech Ford GT #40 he shares with German driver Thomas Mutsch as if he were doing nothing more stressful than stepping into his office on a Monday morning.

Countless hours spent behind the racing wheel—at his desk and his car—have clearly made him comfortable with what is about to happen next: Thousands of horsepower heading for T1 …

102

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

RAHEL FREY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO MAKE TWO OF HER ONBOARD VIDEOS

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR AUTOSIMSPORT READERS: YOU CAN WATCH THEM BY CLICKING HERE—UNMISSABLE …

103

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

RAHEL FREY

Twenty‐three year old Rahel Frey was born in Niederbipp, Switzerland, and began racing karts back in 1998. In 2004 she swapped‐up into the Swiss Formula Renault 2000 series where she finished a credible third in the championship with two wins in nine races, a run of results that saw her graduate to the Eurocup Renault 2000 series for 2006. She is currently scheduled to race for the A1 Team Switzerland, becoming, in the process, the first female to race in that series. She is currently competing in the German F3 series.

During the course of the 2009 season, Rahel Frey drove her way into the motor‐sport history books by becoming the first‐ever woman to win an F3 event in the ATS Cup. Having heard that she would be at Oschersleben, I decided to shoot her an email via her official website.

Much to my surprise, the email was not only answered, but answered promptly along with a digital signature that suggests that the lady herself had typed, ‘Sure, anytime, just give me a ring when you’re at the circuit,’ and a cell phone number.

With that, we find ourselves, Marco and I, at the F3 paddock which is situated on the far left of the ‘Motorsport Arena’ where the Jo Zeller Racing’s yellow team‐bus stands out like a beacon amidst all the cool blues and grays of the rest of the teams.

It’s a long walk and relatively quiet in these ‘backwaters’ of FIA‐regulated racing, but finding Rahel is no easy task if all you have to work with is a phone‐number and a photo from her website.

We’re greeted by a very sympathetic, unassuming woman with perfect manners, and our fears of not being able to understand the Swiss dialect (also known as ‘Switzerdütsch’) quickly evaporate into the blue morning sky when we say hello and exchange opening formalities.

On the heels of the success of her first F3 race win has been disappointment and mid‐ field mediocrity at Hockenheim, and Oschersleben, right now, promises nothing better.

Qualifying did not go to well for her (there are two qualifying sessions within the ATS F3 Cup to determine the position within each of the two races over the weekend), and she explains that, ‘We just haven’t found the necessary speed yet.’

104

Lap after lap we watched her reel‐in her new team mate Zahir Ali into the braking zone of that tricky turn one, but it’s wasn’t for championship points. Eleventh place is certainly much worse than what she’d hoped for only a day ago, but there are still positives from the weekend, such as her fastest lap which was over half a second up on her team‐mate Zahir, and which tells us much about Rahel’s innate speed …

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

105

The team is using a telemetry system provided by Busch (that comes along with the Mercedes 307 F3 cars) for data analysis which is similar to MoTeC in the functionality it provides, and Rahel states that it’s, ‘Possible to view nearly every aspect of what the car is doing out on the circuit.’

For the first weekend this season, she has a team‐mate in the person of Ali Zahir with whom she can compare data. ‘We’re using the exact same setup for now,’ she reveals, ‘and our comments on the car’s behaviour are quite similar, so it’s likely we’ll keep developing the car into the same general direction.’

On the main straight, we notice a banner with ‘Hopp Rahel’ in large letters, and we ask her to reveal her thoughts. Rahel laughs. ‘Yup, it looks like my fan base here in Germany is growing all the time, and some people were over earlier mentioning they put up a banner on the main grandstands, and it’s always good to have some support from the fans here.

‘When you get the good results like I have recently,’ she continues, ‘people are quick to support you. Last year was rather tough for me, however, as I had to learn a lot, and those are the times when you find out who’s really supporting you through thick and thin!’

The question naturally writes itself, and despite not wanting to ask it, I find the words pouring from my mouth anyway: ‘So will you,’ I ask, ‘be the next woman to enter Formula One?’ She smiles that disarming smile of hers. ‘Of course that would be an absolute dream, but first of all I have to prove myself here in the ATS F3 Cup, with the Formula 3 Euro Series being the next logical progression.’

As for her entry into the usually male‐dominated world of motor‐sports, the twenty‐ three old Swiss explains that, ‘My dad used to race karts back in the day, and our entire family were always there at the race track over the weekends. However, my mom always put school first for me, so that’s why I didn’t start racing karts until I was twelve years old.

Things went relatively well rather quickly, though, and racing for me is like a virus that’s impossible to get rid of it seems.’

When not racing, she works part‐time at her dad’s car dealership based in Aedermannsdorf, Switzerland. Interestingly enough, it’s a white collar office job and not one where she gets to deal and dabble with automotive technology or engineering. ‘It's great to be able to schedule the day to fit my personal needs, like half a day at work, and the other half working out and improving my fitness,’ she says, and she lists skating, cycling, and running among her pastimes.

Asked about her experiences with sim‐racing, Rahel states that she hasn’t really dabbled with it yet: I can’t help, though, but notice that, while she is talking sims, her hands are gesturing as if she were wielding a PS2 controller. And indeed, she has tried none of the current generation of sims, having only tinkered with some PlayStation games and ancient F1 titles. She’s never heard of rFactor, nor its excellent F3 mod. When asked if she sees,

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

‘added value’ in using sims to prepare and hone a driver’s skill set, she mentions that, ‘Of course most F1 teams are using simulations these days, and drivers spend many hours in them, but for the smaller teams like those in F3, the financial aspect is probably the biggest problem in developing and employing useful simulations. Personally, I’d still rather race karts on a real‐track than using simulations in order to improve my driving.’

A recent addition to her car has been a rollbar‐mounted video camera that records the laps from the driver’s perspective. ‘Using the camera alongside the data provided by the Busch system is a really useful way to analyze what’s going on,’ she tells us. ‘The video quality is excellent for such a small device, and as the camera position is nearly identical to the driver’s perspective, the pictures represent what you see in the cockpit very well.’

Her medium‐ to ‐long term goals include, ‘Improving my consistency and especially race pace so it’ll be possible for me to constantly finish in the points.’

When we make our way through the F3 paddock to catch up with her after the second race on Sunday morning, we find that the tents and trailers are already being taken down, and people seem in a rush to pack up and go.

We spot Rahel in her team tent as it’s literally being taken down over her downcast shoulders and drawn and downbeat face. A quick wave and an inquiring smile lets her know she’s in for another ‘five minute update’ with the AutoSimSport‐Team, and sure enough she’s more than happy to oblige and answer our questions.

To cheer Rahel up a bit, we tell her that we were watching her car the entire race from turn one while taking photos, and that we’d been waving at her, but she’d seemed rather distracted and didn’t wave back. That seems to penetrate her blues, if only for a moment, and we’re instantly treated to her now‐familiar open smile as she explains just what went wrong in that second race. Rahel even apologizes for not returning our wave from the cockpit, if you can imagine it.

Some showers that passed over Oschersleben during the night had turned the track into a damp venue indeed, and finding a dry line amongst all the puddles had proven difficult for her. After a bad start in which she lost two positions, Rahel was forced slightly off‐line during some infighting and consequently went off onto the grass which cost her any chance of scoring points and hanging on to her third place in the championship.

Lap after lap we watched her reel‐in her new team mate Zahir Ali into the braking zone of that tricky turn one, but it’s wasn’t for championship points. Eleventh place is certainly much worse than what she’d hoped for only a day ago, but there are still positives from the weekend, such as her fastest lap which was over half a second up on her team‐mate Zahir, and which tells us much about Rahel’s innate speed.

‘Once you go off the dry line in these conditions, it gets very tricky to keep control of the car,’ she tells us, and we leave her with Marc Hennerici’s quote: You know, that he’s very

happy that sim‐racing hasn’t made any major inroads into professional racing yet, and we damn well shouldn't tell anybody (sorry, mate!).

We recommend rFactor and its excellent F3 mod as a way of ‘sharpening a racer’s mental skills’, as Marc so aptly put it. Finally Rahel smiles again, and you can tell that her good‐ natured approach to this whole racing business will set her right on track for the next F3 ATS Cup race at the Lausitzring in support of the ADAC GT masters series two weeks from now.

As for Marco and I, we’ll be crossing all available body parts for Rahel’s success in racing: She’s a class‐act, in and out of the cockpit, and racing could do with a few more drivers of her caliber.

The banner on the main grandstand is still up despite the fact that Rahel has left the circuit to make the long return trip to her home in Switzerland, and we hope that many more fans and sponsors will follow and support her journey through the ranks of professional motor‐sport.

The two races at the Lausitzring (supporting the ADAC GT Masters series) set her back on track again, and with the cup's summer break looming she finds herself in a really tight battle for third place in the championship.

Hopp Rahel!

106

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

TIM MULLEN & CRS RACING

Thirty‐three year old Irishman Tim Mullen has been on the sharp‐end of international motor‐racing since the mid‐1990s. He was Avon Tyres Young Driver of the Year, Vauxhall’s Young Driver of the Year, and DHL’s Star of Tomorrow in 1995 (following his Irish Formula Ford Championship win), and 1996’s Northern Irish Motorsport Personality of the Year after his British Vauxhall Junior Championship win. Since then, he has raced in virtually every series in Europe, from British Formula Renault to European Formula Palmer Audi, from European Formula Palmer Audi to Renault Clio UK Cup, from British GT to his current home, the FIA GT series where he races for CRS Racing Ferrari Scuderia GT3. Add to that impressive list a British GT Championship win in 2006, and a third placed finish at Le Mans in 2008, not to mention the recipient of Autosport’s highly‐prized top British GT driver two years running (2005, 2006), and what you have is driver who has climbed to the very pinnacle of international motor‐racing.

Tim Mullenwas the first to reply to my interview requests: I’d submitted it over his website a couple of days before the race weekend and, with a message apparently authored on a Blackberry smart phone, the reply had assured me he’d make time for an interview, and that, naturally, settled my nerves as I travelled to the circuit in the sure knowledge that I had, at the very worst, one confirmed driver lined‐up for an interview.

107

We meet Tim in the CRS Racing pits on Saturday afternoon, abuzz with activity. Tim is an easily approachable, good humored, and all around good guy, his reddish hair nicely complementing the CRS Ferrari’s colors. The entire CRS pit area, indeed, is awash in a stylish Ferrari‐red that represents, to my mind, anyway, the passion that CRS brings to its intense and competitive motor‐sports programme.

Tim instantly talks business, taking us on a tour of the cars—Ferrari F430s—and points out how light‐weight everything on the cars are. The driver’s door, he informs us by demonstrating with only one finger, can be moved by the slightest touch as if it were made of cardboard. ‘Everything is designed to be as light as possible so you can play around with additional weights that can be mounted as low down as possible,’ he explains, before adding that there have been several upgrades to the car through the years, everything from the aerodynamics, traction control, engine, and suspension, and that there’s probably one more competitive racing season left in the car before it’s time to start fresh with a new model.

‘This season has seen a bit of a tough start for our team, but we’re working hard and trying to improve as much as possible to get to the front.’

Tim’s year, too, has been a bit tough: As he takes us around the number fifty‐six CRS sister car run by Rob Bell and Andy Kirkaldy, I mention the fact that I’d seen Andy running at the Le Mans 24h this year, but I’d not seen Tim …

‘I was very close to a couple of drives,’ Tim says, alluding to the fact that, after four consecutive years of running at the legendary twenty‐four hour event (and having secured a podium back in 2006 in GT2), he had failed to secure a ride for this season’s running, ‘but the market is awash with professional drivers at the moment, so the situation isn’t ideal to secure a cockpit for Le Mans. It’s easy,’ he adds, ‘to get a drive if you bring lots of money, but if you’re a professional driver and you want a team to pay you, it’s very hard at the moment.’

He quickly changes the subject, and I suspect missing out on Le Mans means a lot to Tim: He demonstrates a recent addition to the F430, cameras mounted inside the cockpit, on the rear, in the cockpit and on the front splitter which allow the team to record on‐track video footage so the drivers can analyze the different lines on a laptop.

‘Chris Niarchos {CRS driver and Tim’s team‐mate for a second time, following their partnership at Scuderia Ecosse back in ’05 and ’06} has improved a lot since he first started racing, he’s really good, but the problem is, he’s up against all those professional drivers in the series. We use the video system to help him to get up to speed by comparing the video of my lap to his, and also comparing the data we get from the engineers.’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

I ask Les for a photo for our magazine, and of course he wants to know who we’re working for, making it clear that, ‘I hope you’re not working for a porn magazine. I certainly don’t want to appear in a porn magazine!’

Given his great looks, we’re undecided on this obvious negligence of a possible career path.

108

We ask him how the age of the F430s, and the mechanical problems that come with its advanced years, affect their race strategy. ‘I wish they would build a non‐biodegradable car,’ he quips. ‘With age, the alloys get very stiff, and they crack easily under strain, so all the damper and spring settings in the world won’t make a difference on the handling of the car!’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

Asked if the team uses MoTeC, Tim explains that they need to use a system provided by Magneti Marelli who are, as we know, official partners to Ferrari, and come with the cars.

Tim also tells us that the radiator burst while Chris was in the car early on in the second practice session, so they didn’t really have a chance to do any setup work. ‘We were fast on old tyres in the first practice, but we never had a chance to run new tyres in the second practice so we’re really far down on the time sheets at the moment. We changed the car overnight because it was very nervous on the rear, but we don’t want to change it too much because, during the start of the race weekend, the track is still very green and it’s quite hard to work consistently as the track improves and more rubber is laid down over the course of the sessions.’

As Oschersleben is considered a technical track that is difficult to learn, I decide this is a good moment to turn the subject to sim‐racing. Asking Tim whether he has any previous experience with sim‐racing elicits the customary response: ‘Not really, I used to try some F1 games when I was younger, though.’

We all look at each other and, after a moment, duly note that this must have been in the Indy500 or Pole Position days at best, and we share a good laugh. ‘I get bored of racing games pretty quickly,’ Tim adds with a smile. ‘I very much prefer the real thing. Still, I think computer games today are amazing, how realistic they look. I maybe haven’t driven your stuff, but still it’s not like the real thing. Computer games just aren’t for me.’

He hasn’t heard of iRacing and its impressive line‐up of real‐life racers, and also isn’t aware of any team within the FIA GT series that use simulations. ‘Our engineers are too old!’ he jokes with a twinkle in his eye and again the little secluded “cubicle” fills with laughter.

‘But maybe it’s something we need to look at,’ he concedes after we brief him on the current state of simulations, iRacing, and rFactor‐Pro which is currently being used by, so we’re told, four Formula One teams. ‘Anything that can help in making us faster certainly is an advantage. These cars cost a lot to run, and we don’t do much testing in between races, so sure, this may be something useful.’

We leave Tim in a conversation with his mechanics from which he looks up and bellows: ‘Come back any time if you have any more questions, no problem!’

If he was simply being polite, and didn’t expect to see us again, he certainly didn’t show it when we reappear at the CRS pits around noon on Sunday with about twenty minutes to go before the FIA GT race is scheduled to start. We come to wish the guys—Chris, Tim, Rob, and Andy—good luck. We run into Les fiddling with the re‐fuelling rig and casting knowing looks into a bruised and wicked sky. Les, we have been told—by not only his crew but by Les himself!—is a ‘legend among mechanics’, and we ask him what he thinks the weather’s going to do during the race.

‘The racing gods will decide, and it’s the same for everyone out there on the track, maybe someone will make a lucky pit stop just in time to change to wets, but we’re prepared for anything, and ready for anything,’ Les tells us.

We ask him how the age of the F430s, and the mechanical problems that come with its advanced years, affect their race strategy. ‘I wish they would build a non‐biodegradable car,’ he quips. ‘With age, the alloys get very stiff, and they crack easily under strain, so all the damper and spring settings in the world won’t make a difference on the handling of the car!’

I ask him for a photo for our magazine, and of course he wants to know who we’re working for, making it clear that, ‘I hope you’re not working for a porn magazine. I certainly don’t want to appear in a porn magazine!’

Given his great looks, we’re undecided on this obvious negligence of a possible career path, so we shake hands and send CRS Racing on their way to what would become an epic battle under a torrential downpour.

Chris and Tim would narrowly miss out on a podium finish in the GT2 class finishing in a battling fourth spot, while the sister car of Rob Bell and Andy Kirkaldy ended up in sixth after an eventful race. Chris, meanwhile, was awarded the ‘Citation Cup’ (a ranking for non‐ pro drivers within the championship) for the second race in a row. Asked about the tricky conditions out on the track, Chris notes that, ‘I sort of relish these conditions. I’m nearly as fast as the professional drivers in these conditions. Without that little mistake,’ he adds, recalling when he went off into the gravel on turn four, ‘second place would very well have been possible.’

CSR racing had a busy weekend at Oschersleben: They ran cars in GT, GT3, and Formula Renault, but this workload never interfered with their good humour and open‐minded approach to racing which—coupled with their obvious professionalism and talent—will see this team continue to progress in international motor‐sports.

109

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

KARL WENDLINGER

Forty year old Austrian Karl Wendlinger will forever be associated as one of the survivors of 1994, that dark and dismal year in Formula One history. At Imola, Rubens Barrichello suffered an enormous shunt from which the Brazilian was incredibly lucky to survive. By the end of that weekend, though, fellow Brazilian and triple‐world champion Ayrton Senna, and Wendlinger’s countryman, the highly‐rated Roland Ratzenberger, had not been so lucky, both succumbing to injuries from their respective accidents, and the racing world was still in a state of dazed confusion when they arrived at Monaco two weeks later.

Any sense of normality was shattered within minutes of the first practice session when Karl Wendlinger, in his gleaming black Sauber‐Mercedes C13, lost control coming out of the tunnel on the approach to the Nouvelle Chicane.

Wendlinger’s head struck the Armco, and by the time the medics arrived on the scene, the Austrian had drifted into a coma in which he would linger for many weeks. His was the final installment of a hideous fifteen days in May of 1994 that changed the sport forever and, although he would return to Sauber later in the season, his Formula One career was ostensibly over. Wendlinger, however, continued racing, and has enjoyed a lot of success in sports cars and touring cars, running in the prestigious DTM series for Audi in the early 2000s after having secured the FIA‐GT Championship in 1999. He currently races a Saleen in the FIA‐GT championship..

110

We catch up with Karl on Saturday morning following the GT free practice. While we’ve gotten used to racing drivers resembling horse jockeys more than anything else in stature, it’s easy to spot Karl’s towering figure in the KplusK pits. He sports the good looks of an Austrian skiing star (as my wife later comments when she sees the photos), and greets us with a firm handshake before leading us to the back of the pits and away from the noise of the pit.

Karl, who participated in forty‐one grands prix for the “Leyton‐House”, and “Sauber” F1 teams, seems rather serious during the course of our interview: Perhaps it’s just our association of Karl and that tragic year 1994, but there is a sense that here is a man who understands the dangers associated with his chosen profession, dangers that almost cost him his life and will always remain with him, physically, in the form of a permanently damaged right knee, and perhaps, even, mentally.

Karl was a product of the enormously successful “Mercedes Junioren” sports car team alongside H.H. Frentzen and Michael Schumacher: A quick scan of the record books will show that Karl was as quick—and indeed often quicker—than both of them. However, following his horrific accident in Monaco, Karl never did regain his pace, and he drifted away from F1 and into sports cars; he won the FIA GT race at Oschersleben in 2008, and we begin by asking him if he fancies his chances for a repeat this year.

Karl appears in a positive frame of mind and suggests that he could indeed have the beating of the Maseratis that are laden with a 70Kg penalty weight. However, because of a small collision with a Ferrari in the second free practice, Karl’s overhauled Saleen SR7 (which he shares with Scotsman Ryan Sharp) is showing in fourth spot on the time sheets. ‘Top three would have been well possible,’ he says. ‘The Maseratis are surprisingly quick, but we stand a good chance to—or rather, we have to be able to match their pace in the race.’

Asked about his experiences with racing simulations, the Austrian states that, so far, he hasn’t tried anything beyond some older Formula One titles back in the day when he was a young lad. He explains that the team’s race engineers usually run different strategies through a basic simulation, but the simulation suggests a shorter gear than the one he uses on‐track, so even that doesn’t help very much for the actual race. ‘The simulation assumes we enter a corner like that,’ he explains, using his hands to indicate the angle of the car during corner entry, ‘but we enter a corner differently, so what the simulation comes up with doesn’t usually make much sense on the track.’

When it comes to preparing drivers for a technical circuit like Oschersleben, he isn’t, ‘Aware of any team racing in the FIA GT championship that employs driving simulations.’ He mentions, however, that Andrea Bertolini—who races the Maserati MC12—claims that Ferrari’s simulator is, ‘Very, very, very realistic. Only a couple of people know he’s a test‐driver for Ferrari,’ Karl adds, ‘and while it certainly helps him to prepare for the Ferrari F1 car, it’s useless for his skills when competing in a GT sports car.’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Futurist ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ Oschersleben

continued

When we probe Karl about whether it’d be possible to get some more info’ on the Ferrari sim out of Andrea, he smiles in a manner that tells us it’d be wiser not to even try—one of those, ‘I could tell you more but I’d have to kill you afterward’ looks.

Before we leave Karl for the day, Marco takes a moment to explain that many of the drivers seem unaware of the state of simulations today, and that they seem to have the impression that they are only ‘games’.

Karl nods reflectively, and recalls the example of Jacques Villeneuve. ‘When he entered F1 in 1996, he didn’t know very many circuits,’ Karl says, ‘but his claim—that he learned the tracks on the PlayStation—is simply ridiculous. Those tracks are totally unrealistic, and I’m better off learning the corners and braking points from a piece of paper than something like that!’

Of course history tells us that Villeneuve went on to win the world championship in 1997, only narrowly missing out to Damon Hill bid in his rookie year: Whether his use of the PlayStation “simulator” had any bearing on that will, alas, never be fully known … Karl, however, does suggest that he’d be interested in giving modern sims a try, and we wish him all the best for the race on Sunday in which he and Ryan stick to third place until, during the second hour, the skies open up and Karl dumps the Saleen into the gravel trap, a mistake that costs the team six positions (in his defense, it has to be said that the Saleen's steering was rather bent up after several paint exchanges during the course of the race).

Marco and I duly agree that a simulation probably wouldn’t have helped Karl keep it on the gray stuff in the rain, as weather remains the red‐haired stepchild of sim‐racing: But with rFactor2 on the horizon, I make a mental note to drop Mr. Wendlinger a line when it hits the shelves should it contain a dynamic track and weather simulation ...

111

www.autosimsport.net

Karl nods reflectively, and recalls the example of Jacques Villeneuve. ‘When he entered F1 in 1996, he didn’t know very many circuits,’ Karl says, ‘but his claim—that he learned the tracks on the PlayStation—is simply ridiculous. Those tracks are totally unrealistic, and I’m better off learning the corners and braking points from a piece of paper than something like that!’

Volume 5 Number 2

Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

VGP3

Andrew Tyler takes a look at the ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ add‐on that is scheduled for release along with a new version of VGP3: The add‐on will ‘ship’ complete with KERS and J‐Dampers, and will offer the most complete and up‐to‐date Formula One‐style simulator in the world … have you played it yet?

ANDREWTYLER

112

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

‘As more development tools are released and the documentation fills out, VGP3 should prove an extremely moddable platform. The ultimate goal is to allow users to define individual mechanical components and use them to build new vehicle simulations from the ground up, not just fiddling with generic variables to approximate the behavior of some system, but building complex mechanical component like J‐Dampers and the complete KERS simulation down to the battery as seen in Jason Frabotta’s soon‐to‐be‐released “Formula Fantasy 2009” add‐on…

113

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

The most cutting‐edge grand prix car technology available on any platform—in any sim—will find its way into Virtual Grand Prix 3 in the coming weeks. Jason Frabotta of Siniscope Productions is nearing completion of his impressive ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ (need we explain what it really is?) add‐on for Paolo Cattani’s splendid sim. Long‐time VGP‐users will recognize Jason’s name, of course, as the man who worked on VGP2 back in the day for which he released a number of extraordinarily high‐quality add‐on car and track updates.

Jason has now turned his considerable talent towards VGP3, and has released an impressive high‐resolution texture update for the base VGP3 cars called ‘EVO F1 2008’ featuring all of the 2008 F1 liveries.

‘Formula Fantasy 2009’, however, is a completely scratch‐built race‐series with new models and physics. And it is, in a word, challenging. But why stop at a word? He has built two chassis and eight teams for this hyper‐realistic‐F1‐style mod, and sixteen drivers will pilot these quick works of beauty. The textures are sharp and clear, the bodywork and cockpit modeled in exquisite detail, and the fictional skins would make any graphic designer proud … but what really gets my blood running is not only the artistry of the thing, but the engineering that lies beneath the skin: Both virtual, and real.

J‐Dampers, KERS, And All Things Real Though a fantasy series, ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ simulates the implementation of the 2009 Formula One specifications as closely as possible. This, however, isn’t just a matter of modifying the existing VGP3 physics variables to approximate the cars; rather, entirely new features have been added to the physics engine at the code level in order to accommodate the changes and new additions to the 2009 formula. Comprehensive support for user‐ content is seen as a key component in VGP3’s future, and Paolo Cattani—the programmer and man‐behind‐the‐curtains at VGP3—purpose‐built the physics additions for this add‐on to gain a better understanding of this process.

The stand‐out new feature here is the implementation of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) regenerative braking system. As with the real cars, the driver now has a button on the steering wheel that can be pressed to temporarily add an extra 80BHP. One departure here from the real‐world implementation is that, rather than a time limit (in F1, the limit is 6.6sec), your available KERS‐boost is limited by the amount of charge allowed to be stored in the battery. However, this still works out to be more or less seven seconds per lap from a full charge … provided you’ve been braking hard enough, that is, to have charged your KERS to begin with.

That last bit proved a little difficult for me at first, as I was forced to come to terms with the fact that I was being unnecessarily timid on the brakes (perhaps as an unintended added

benefit then, the amount of charge I was generating could be used as a sort of braking telemetry). Fortunately—and those familiar with VGP3 will know that the setup options of your car can be quite mind‐boggling for the non‐sim‐engineer—the KERS system is fully‐ configurable in the setup options, and here you will find six variables that will allow you to fine‐tune the KERS to your style and preference. These include the ‘charge/discharge’ rates (up to the maximum allowed by the rules), and various speed thresholds controlling how the system is engaged.

Without getting too technical (which is actually difficult to avoid since KERS is an incredibly difficult piece of hardware—consider that only two F1 teams are currently using this technology, the rest of the field having either abandoned it, or never even tried to develop it), the idea here is that you need to strike a balance between the smoothness of your car under braking, and the benefit of added power. The reason for this is because, as the KERS system sucks‐up energy, it affects the torque on the rear axle, and upon reaching its limits, there is an abrupt shift in the amount of braking force available, resulting in a potentially objectionable instability from the driver’s perspective.

KERS also requires careful consideration of your gearing‐ratios. In much the same way as you must take into account slipstreaming when working out your seventh gear ratio, now you must also consider the walloping effect of 80BHP: It would be a pretty lame affair if you hit your button and then hit the rev’ limiter a second or so later …

This system is entirely new to me in a racing‐sim—as it will be for you, since no other sim has this feature. As such, I have yet to fully come to terms with its implications. Worse yet, and somewhat embarrassingly, having to consciously think about where and when to use the KERS—and then the act of pushing the button on my wheel—has resulted in some tragic (albeit brief) lapses in concentration. This is something I’m just going to have to come to terms with, and while it’s gradually becoming second nature, it has taken a bit of time to get right as it has, I’d imagine, for the real F1 teams that are running KERS and who are only now—mid‐way through their first season with KERS—beginning to tip the balance in F1 in their favour.

Yet another new feature to be included in this add‐on—and one which will increase your cockpit workload even further—is the engine map programmes that are directly controllable off your steering wheel (or wherever you can map a button). These programs allow you to configure engine torque per gear for acceleration and engine braking, and should prove useful in allowing you to, say, set up one program for maximum performance, one for normal conditions, and a third to help deal with changing conditions such as tyre wear and fuel load, or to manage fuel consumption. You might, for instance, want to limit the amount of torque in first gear if you find that keeping your car pointed in the right direction coming out of slow corners a tad troublesome.

114

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

Along with your standard onboard brake‐bias adjustments, and the added functionality of KERS and engine‐program selection, I’m rapidly running out of buttons on my wheel.

Those of you with G25s are going to start to feel the pinch of having those two lonely buttons though, luckily, most of these things aren’t constantly being used and mapping them to the shifter unit or the keyboard won’t put you at a serious disadvantage. As sims progress and become more and more detailed, our wheels, I think, are going to start looking more like the real thing—festooned with an intimidating amount of dials and switches.

Those of you with Driving Force GTs are going to be sitting pretty.

The ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ cars also come equipped with fully‐modeled J‐Dampers. J‐ Dampers are useful little things that are somewhat similar to the tuned mass damper system Renault enjoyed in their championship‐winning 2006 season (until the FIA changed their mind and nixed it). J‐Dampers, however, are perfectly legal and are purportedly used by most of the teams: They function as a sort of overall damper for the car’s suspension at either end, retarding vertical oscillations. They can be adjusted front and rear, and provide significantly more mechanical grip compared to cars not using the system. J‐Dampers are used in particular to modify the way the cars handle over curbs by reducing bouncing, and keeping the tyres planted where they should be—on the sticky stuff.

Alongside these more complicated changes, the cars sport the broader changes associated with the 2009 regulations as compared to the default VGP3 cars (based on the

115

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

2007 F1 season). The cars have less downforce owing to the much smaller rear wing, but this is offset somewhat by the greater grip provided by slick tyres, and the sneaky double‐decker diffusers which are also modeled in this add‐on.

Traction control has gone away too, and the more leaden‐footed amongst us will need to take advantage of the engine map programs to build a setup with the cockpit selectable option of slightly reduced torque in the lower gears to help keep things sane when powering out of slow turns. Power wise, the rev’ limiter kicks in at 18,000RPM, resulting in a bit less power—though when the KERS is active, providing an extra 80BHP, the output is actually greater than before.

Overall, Jason Frabotta’s beautiful models and artwork combined with the technical acumen of Paolo Cattani has produced what is unquestionably shaping up to be at the top‐ of‐the‐heap in terms of simulating a modern grand prix car. Combined with excellent qualities of Virtual Grand Prix 3 as a simulation in general, this is something to keep a close eye on. Moreover, you probably won’t be waiting long: If all goes well—and if the beta that was kindly made available to me by Jason is any indication—‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ should be released in a few weeks as a free add‐on to VGP3.

VGP3 0.80 Preview ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ is scheduled to be released alongside the next update of Virtual Grand Prix 3, version 0.80. The primary new feature of the latest version is add‐on support which will allow users to change series within the sim. ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ is the first major add‐on for VGP3, but there is other new content to come—British F3‐like cars are well into development, and again Paolo and his team are consulting on the physics side to ensure all of the necessary features are fully supported, and, further down the pipeline, a European series based on Champcars is being worked on. Indeed, there really is no limit to the sort of cars VGP3 can model, and the new patch is expected to entice modders to tap into the sim’s modding potential.

As more development tools are released and the documentation fills out, VGP3 should prove an extremely moddable platform: The ultimate goal is to allow users to define individual mechanical components and use them to build new vehicle simulations from the ground up. Though this aspect isn’t yet ready for primetime (as Paolo continues to work with select individual modders to develop and refine the process), the results of the ‘Formula Fantasy 2009’ project—not just fiddling with generic variables to approximate the behavior of some system, but building complex mechanical component like J‐Dampers and the complete KERS simulation down to the battery—shows there is an awful lot of promise to this approach. We will just have to wait and see how it turns out, and how flexible it is once the community exerts their collective creativity on it.

116

The idea here is that you need to strike a balance between the smoothness of your car under braking, and the benefit of added power. The reason for this is because, as the KERS system sucks‐up energy, it affects the torque on the rear axle, and upon reaching its limits, there is an abrupt shift in the amount of braking force available, resulting in a potentially objectionable instability from the driver’s perspective … www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

Official VGP3 content continues to be regularly released with more tracks on the way— Barcelona is set to be released next, and is nearly finished. Monza has been released since my last article about VGP3, bringing the current total to five tracks (Imola, Hungaroring, Indianapolis, Silverstone, and Monza). All of these are excellent reproductions.

The update will include some other new features as well, such as the implementation of fancy GLSL post‐processing pipeline which uses all of those expensive stream processors and such on your graphics card. This allows for the implementation of all of the latest whiz‐ bang graphical effects like motion blur and depth of field simulation, though for the time being will only be used to implement some impressive anti‐aliasing and a sharpening mask (think of it—crudely, if you must—as DirectX10 effects in OpenGL). It will be very interesting to see where that goes in the future.

VGP3 0.80 will also include an auto‐updater feature so that you no longer have to go download and install new content manually. Instead, you can just go to a menu within the sim and click on what you want to download or update, and it will all be handled for you.

This is the first step towards deeper integration of VGP3 and the VGP3 website that will eventually boast other features such as an integrated lobby for online races.

Also currently available is the official track creation tool, ‘Track Designer 3’, as well as the object converter to import 3DS and LWO 3D models. Most importantly for Mac fans, an OSX universal binary is available so that VGP3 now supports the newer Intel‐based Macs natively along with PowerPC versions.

Virtual Grand Prix 3 has the most evolved Artificial Intelligence we’ve seen in a sim for a decade. Even more thrilling is the news that the AI is still a work in progress. There is no doubt that, as it stands now, VGP3’s AI is heads and shoulders above the rest: by the time VGP3 hits version 1.0, it will boast the best AI ever seen in any simulator in history— single‐player heaven. Click above to watch

Tyler’s AI‐vid‐demonstration …

117

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

Artificial Intelligence For me, the most stand‐out feature of VGP3 since the first time I tried it was its artificial intelligence implementation. These days, when it seems that none of the other sim‐ developers can be bothered to put in the effort to develop effective AI, VGP3 is unique in its impressive and constantly improving AI. In my previous review a few months back, I noted how impressed I was with the racing ability of the AI, but added that they would (at times) appear robotic, maneuvering in traffic saw‐tooth fashion—that is, alternating rapidly between steering one way and then the other to move in a direction halfway in‐between.

Since then, that problem has been totally eliminated. They now steer smoothly in whatever direction they wish to go. The AI don’t use pre‐determined waypoints, either, but actually learn the track based solely upon the knowledge of where the edges of the circuit are. When I first received a beta version of the ‘FF2009’ add‐on, I loaded up Monza and watched as the AI laboriously turned laps thirty seconds off the pace, braking way too early, and cautiously feeling their way through turns. I sent an e‐mail off to Jason informing him of this glaring bug I had discovered with a page of specific details on their behavior in hopes of helping him out.

It wasn’t until I came back to it a little later on that I noticed they were turning laps only fifteen seconds off the pace. I watched a warm‐up session in which they continued to improve lap by lap, and after half an hour or so, they were turning laps right on the money of the real‐F1 qualifying lap times, squealing their tyres and even occasionally getting a little ragged when they pushed too hard. Jason told me that since this was a fresh beta version, the AI hadn’t yet learned the tracks. The final version will, of course, come with AI pre‐ trained, but this illustrates a fascinating feature of the AI. Even pre‐trained, though, they will continue learning the tracks, and will continue to get quicker, though obviously the law of diminishing returns applies at some point: Despite that, the AI, I can safely tell you, are always pushing. They’re feeling it out and controlling their car that is subject to the same physics as your car, working the same controls. When you watch them drive from their cockpit, they’re always making little corrections, not because they’ve deviated from a set path, but because they’ve maybe pushed just a hair too hard and had to catch a small slide.

Very rarely, they’ll even put a wheel off and end up in the gravel trap.

Of course, this isn’t to say there is no room for improvement. I’d like to see them fight a little harder when running two or three wide. As they are now, they generally take the more cautious approach and will yield, slotting in behind another car that had them by half‐a‐car length mid‐corner. There certainly is one thing to say about them though, and it’s perhaps something of a sad illustration of our times that this is an impressive feature, but they will never shunt you or otherwise take you out of their own accord—as they tend to in other sims I could mention.

118

I watched a warm‐up session in which they continued to improve lap by lap, and after half an hour or so, they were turning laps right on the money of the real‐F1 qualifying lap times, squealing their tyres and even occasionally getting a little ragged when they pushed too hard. Jason told me that since this was a fresh beta version, the AI hadn’t yet learned the tracks. The final version will, of course, come with AI pre‐trained. www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

VGP3 Fantasy Formula For VGP3 Success

continued

But don’t get the wrong impression here: They will fight you tooth and nail to get by, appearing and disappearing from mirror to mirror, and will pass you wherever they can. If the AI behind you is quicker, you can keep him behind by adopting defensive lines, but he won’t let up, and will get by if you make even the slightest mistake. Their own defensive tactics aren’t yet as impressive as their offense, though, owing to their extreme aversion to taking you out— and you may be able to bully your way by without much problem. That is, no problem aside from catching them and out‐braking them, or forcing your way into the inside of a turn. If you wobble, though, you can rest assured they will be there to call you on it.

I have come to accept the fact that I will never win a race at one‐hundred percent difficulty, or likely even manage a top ten, but thankfully you can fine‐tune their ability anywhere between ten‐tenths on the limit and some ten seconds or so slower. Even at their highest setting, though, they may still cross it up on occasion, or you can take advantage of two AI drivers fighting amongst themselves ahead of you if you plan it right.

More encouraging than this excellent AI (VGP3 has the best AI in any sim—it’s not, to be perfectly blunt about it, a contest anymore), is that the AI development is still both a priority and ongoing. Given the improvements I’ve seen over the last few months—starting, that is, from a point that far exceeded any single‐player experience available for the PC (and probably the console)—I think I am not going out on a limb by suggesting that, by the time this sim hits 1.0, it will offer the best AI any of us have ever seen …

Does It Really Just Sell For … €14.90?

Is VGP3 worth its selling price of—let’s check today’s currency—twenty dollars? I don’t know: Does a bullet in the gut hurt? If you’re looking for a single‐player sim, or are interested in open‐wheel racing in general and you haven’t tried VGP3, you’re missing out. Mind you, it also has excellent multiplayer. The community, however, remains small (for reasons I cannot comprehend, to be honest), which means you may not be able to easily find a pick‐ up race: Add to this the fact that the integrated lobby system has yet to be implemented, and what you get is not—as yet—a great multiplayer experience. Having said that, if you happen to stumble into or arrange a race, you will not be let down by the netcode: It is both reliable and robust.

Content at this stage is also somewhat limited: You will have two excellent series once the‘FF2009’ add‐on is released (with more being worked on), and you will have five excellent tracks to race them on (soon to be six, with more official tracks regularly released). Indeed, Paolo Cattani has shown wisdom by focusing on developing and releasing track development tools, and the VGP3 community may well begin to produce tracks at a faster rate … we’ll see …

So will you be uninstalling your favourite sim? Probably not. But then again, I don’t think you’ll be uninstalling VGP3 anytime soon, either. I can’t predict the future—or why certain sims succeed when others (which are far better) don’t—but just from a purely ‘how good is this sim?’ standpoint, I think VGP3 is destined for greater things. Paolo Cattani isn’t developing it to get rich, and is certainly not out to make any stockholders rich(er), he’s doing it because he loves it, and has been at it in one form or another since 1999 when he released the first in the Virtual Grand Prix series (aka AlienF1) for the Amiga. I suspect—and I very much hope—that we’ll be saying the same thing in a couple of years as VGP3 enjoys the success it so richly deserves. As I said up top—have you tried it yet? Because you will be pleasantly surprised.

PLEASE NOTE: Barcelona for VGP3 was released after this article was written: It is now available for free download. Watch Tyler’s movie for a preview…

119

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Bob The Track Builder

INDYSIM

The release of Bob’s Track Builder four years ago instantly transformed the track‐ making landscape in simulated‐racing. Now, on the eve of the release of Version 0.8, Simon Croft smoothes the curves along with BTB’s creator Brendon Pywellto discover all about laser‐scanning, track building, and, naturally, an answer to the biggest question of all: Who the hell is Bob?

SIMONCROFT

120

A few years ago while perusing the various sim‐forums out there in the ether, I stumbled across an oddly named thing called ‘Bob’s Track Builder’. Having tried, and largely failed, at track creation (the man’s way—that is, starting from scratch in 3D modelling packages), I knew how difficult, time‐consuming, and frustrating the whole process could be. Intrigued, I dug a little deeper.

BTB seemed, as I first began to sniff around at it, an unassuming piece of software, much, actually, like its name. But it soon became evident that this could well be the answer to some of my prayers: After downloading the demo, and promptly purchasing the programme, I can now conclude that it was—and is. Whilst my best efforts to date are not going to have any devs knocking on my door, the difference this program has made to my forays into the world of track creation has been vast.

With a specific project in mind, and gearing up for cracking open BTB and devouring some serious quantities of time and beer (in the announcement for the most recent round of beta‐testing are the words: ‘Known issues—sleep depravation can be a side effect of editing to the wee small hours’, an experience I can vouch for), I decided now was a good time to get hold of BTB’s creator to discover all about this modders’ www.autosimsport.net Volume 5 Number 2 tool of choice …

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

SIMON: For our readers who may not be familiar with yourself, or Bob’s Track Builder, could you please fill in the dots?

BRENDON: Bob’s Track Builder is a 3D cam/cam tool that is specifically designed for creating a race track. It has a simple to use interface that allows complex tracks to be created with little fuss. It can export to multiple games including rFactor, Richard Burns Rally, Racer, GTR2, GT Legends, GTR Evolution, and RACE 07.

BTB began as a small hobby nearly four years ago. After dabbling with 3D Max and taking several days to get one plane into rFactor, I decided to write a small application that would make things so much simpler. Surely, I naively thought, it should be fairly simple to take a curve and turn it into a race track.

I had no prior experience building rFactor tracks, and no 3D Max experience: only some 3D editing knowledge from nearly twenty years using an Amiga 500. I have also spent more than twenty years coding, but mostly for the financial sector where computer graphics are limited to shading graphs on Excel spreadsheets.

I enjoy mathematics, but I had no real idea of the challenge that lay ahead. There are so many things I was blissfully unaware of, and perhaps if I did realise the enormity {of what I was planning}, I might have sensibly stopped. Instead, I continued to build the once‐small application into something bigger.

When I first showed the community, there was much interest and support; and there were many that explained how crazy I was to try it. The deeper into the code I got, the more I realised that either I had to give up ... or become more committed. So I decided to try and devote more time to the hobby that I enjoyed. It became a commercial project, and the funds gathered from the sales went towards taking time off my day job.

Eventually, thanks to a couple of side projects, the accumulation of BTB sales, and a very supportive wife, I decided to leave my steady full‐time job and devote all my efforts on BTB. This led to the last ten months of work which has seen the greatest expansion of features to date, as well as the release of Oran Park LiDAR, the second publicly‐available laser‐scanned track for rFactor.

The BTB community is also starting to come of age, too. Some of the more advanced users are coming to terms with the new features and are able to create their own content that can then be shared with other BTB users. It’s great to see more of this happening, but it’s early days yet, and I feel the best stuff is yet to come.

SIMON: What, so far, have been the biggest challenges from a mathematical/coding point of view?

BRENDON: Not knowing a thing about how to program in DirectX was probably the hardest part. There are many examples to follow on the internet, but they differ wildly in their

approach, and without the experience, I found it difficult to decide which way forward was best. There are many parts of the code I wish to revisit and improve now that my knowledge of DirectX has improved.

SIMON: Is this something that is likely to happen? If so, should users expect to see a gradual re‐ working of the existing program, or is this a step so big that we should await a ‘BTB2’ release?

BRENDON: Some parts will be reworked where possible, and that’s happened already in the past, even though it goes unnoticed. Many improvements have been implemented, but because they have a minor impact, no one really notices. Always you have to balance the time to improve a piece of code for a small improvement against adding new features which adds more value to BTB. Designing the interface has also been a great challenge. I have always wanted the user to have immediate feedback where possible so they can see their changes in response to mouse movements. Sometimes this is not easy, since a small change in the property of the track will change the track and all terrain that is connected to it.

SIMON: Do you mean it’s difficult in terms of real‐time changes in response to computationally heavy processes, or rather constructing the functionality of BTB such that what may seem simple and obvious tweaks to the user have a tangible consequence when, in reality, they are perhaps a few steps removed from what they are really wanting to implement?

BRENDON: The first. Although I do agree with the second one, too! The Objects, for instance, got a lot of attention {in order to} make things easy for the user, but behind the scenes a lot happens to ensure good frame rates are kept.

SIMON: How far ahead do you plan your coding? Some things must obviously be bigger undertakings than others, but do you have a fairly structured path you are following, or is it more reacting to the whims of yourself andthe community?

BRENDON: I plan at the large scale from a ‘to‐do’ document filled with several pages of ideas, then workshop the idea as I code. Sometimes this means changing the design as I go in order to accommodate for new ideas that only occur whilst playing with the new feature. As a one‐man developer, it’s great to be able to have this freedom of design ... and it avoids having to write documentation on how it all pieces together so someone else can understand.

The community is more than helpful with ideas, and it’s something I used to encourage. I say used to, because there came a point where I think people were focussing too much on what they wanted to see, and not enough on using what they already had. There were many suggestions for things that were already present in the tools if they took a bit more time to learn.

121

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

‘On the one hand, more tracks for older games may mean people aren’t so eager to upgrade to the next version: On the other, being able to move the track you develop for one sim into a new product makes that new sim more attractive.

The guys at rFactor were very helpful considering how basic BTB was in the early days. They had the patience to help me with even some basic questions in order to get direct export to game.

The Live For Speed guys, unfortunately, don’t seem too interested; which I find strange given the limited tracks they currently have. Perhaps they have their own track editor in the making? Or perhaps the early BTB tracks were a little sub‐par given the limited features available. Some of the recent BTB‐built tracks have been very well put together, though, and I hope the LFS devs take another look.’

SIMON: BTB in its ‘Pro’ form seems to have predominantly been designed with rFactor and RBR in mind (with support more recently added for Racer): is this is a reflection of your own personal interest, or more a case of meeting the demands of the community?

BRENDON: There are a few things I have committed to adding to BTB, but sometimes it takes me a while to finally implement, {and} Racer is one of these. I saw Racer had some good community support and thought it could do with some more tracks, too.

Racer is quite different in its internal structure when compared to rFactor, but thanks to Ruud (Racer’s developer), I had all the help I needed. But before I added any more new games, I wanted the features of BTB to be more comprehensive: terrain and objects had to be added first.

SIMON: This touches on something I had wondered about: how much assistance do you typically get from developers? I imagine it can vary from developer to developer, with at one extreme something like rFactor depending very heavily on the community to provide content, and in the ‘middle’ something like Racer which, at least in its non‐ commercial/Cruden guise, is a ‘hobby’ project, and then, at the other end of the commercial spectrum, complete products such as the SimBin releases. All, I would imagine, would have their own motivations for wanting to support a product such as BTB: have you found certain sims easier than others to cater for, be it through software architecture, or developer support?

BRENDON: It does vary wildly, and there are differing opinions from the people inside sim‐development teams as to whether they want/need BTB support. Some, like Ruud, were very eager, as I think this can really help his product. Simbin have shown some interest over the years, but it’s also important to remember that they have to consider how this affects their future games sales.

On the one hand, more tracks for older games may mean people aren’t so eager to upgrade to the next version: On the other, being able to move the track you develop for one sim into a new product makes that new sim more attractive.

The guys at rFactor were very helpful considering how basic BTB was in the early days. They had the patience to help me with even some basic questions in order to get direct export to game.

The Live For Speed guys, unfortunately, don’t seem too interested; which I find strange given the limited tracks they currently have. Perhaps they have their own track editor in the making? Or perhaps the early BTB tracks were a little sub‐par given the limited features available. Some of the recent BTB‐built tracks have been very well put together, though, and I hope the LFS devs take another look.

122

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

Richard Burns Rally is very difficult to develop for because the developers no longer exist.

Modability was never an RBR strong point: however, with much help from a guy called ‘black f’, we were able to hook into the game and create our own rendering engine for it. This is a mixed blessing, though, because it means re‐writing the game’s graphical engine as well as the export for it. ‘black f’ has done a great job to get us to the point where we even extend on the game. A thirty‐three kilometre track was built as a demonstration of what could be achieved with BTB, and the use of instancing to draw the objects. This simply wasn’t possible with the original game, or by using other plugins for RBR.

SIMON: I think many users of BTB/RBR will be very grateful to ‘black f’ for his contributions in this area.

BRENDON: In our hundreds of emails back and forth, we have a lot of fun talking about the graphics. He has always said he doesn’t have any commercial interest in sales, and has been happy enough to spend many hours on the plugin.

SIMON: Was the move to support Racer simply an issue of supporting another sim you saw worthy of inclusion, or did this fit in with Racer’s commercial ties with Cruden?

BRENDON: I decided to support Racer a couple of years ago, and at the time I was not aware of any commercial project.

SIMON: How best, apart from purchasing BTB and making donations, can the community aid you with the development of BTB? BRENDON: I really suck at the artwork, so anyone who can make XPacks, Objects, or Textures will really help all BTB users. And answering other peoples’ questions in the forums is a great help too!

SIMON: What is the process for adding specific support for a new sim? Is it a case of reading as much documentation as possible within the track building community and figuring out the nuances of each different game, or is it more a case of delving in with a coder’s insight, trying to extract what you can?

BRENDON: A bit of both usually; it depends on what you have available. The devs are obviously too busy with their own work to be helping me out all the time, so I use the forums and do some testing myself to see what track design methods work.

SIMON: Have you ever received any help/information from the devs before the actual release of a product? For instance, have you spoken to ISI at all about what to expect in rFactor2 to allow you to have BTB compatible on release?

BRENDON: Not really: for most sims, I think track building tools are an after‐thought. I have spoken to ISI about rF2, but it’s too early to say how the future will shape up.

SIMON: May saw the release of the Evo build of BTB, aimed specifically at track makers for the SimBin series of sims. Was this individual product necessary because of specific feature‐ sets required for the SimBin games?

BRENDON: The SimBin games I thought would be relatively simple to support since they were based on the same technology as rFactor. I was surprised to find how many subtle differences there were, and it took longer to develop than I anticipated. There are still outstanding things I need to improve. By having a separate interface, there is also the opportunity to add more features to the Simbin export (for things such as the rain) without compromising the interface for games that do not support these features. It is also not good business sense to continually add more and more games into the original BTB product.

SIMON: I suppose a risk is that BTB becomes a jack of all trades, master of none (with no disrespect intended!). How difficult is it to balance general functionality/feature sets whilst keeping the product focussed on specific tasks?

BRENDON: Now that the major work of exporting different games has been done, ninety percent of the work done now will be applicable to all games—for example, speeding up the shaping of a road benefits all.

123

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

I’ll examine how sales are doing over the coming months and evaluate the need to add game‐specific features. Currently, new features get added based upon need, and amount of time required to develop. Now and again I get distracted by something I thought would be cool, like StringObjects (SObjects). Time is the greatest constraint; I’ve been working almost non‐stop on BTB, yet the list of things I would like to add seems to always grow.

BTB will always be focussed around racing, but there are some BTB tools which can be used in {other} creative ways. The walls, for instance, can be flattened and turned into skid marks that can be easily placed around the track. There are some BTB options there that you need to understand in order get the effect right, but hopefully people are watching the tutorial videos and reading the manual enough to work it out. Keeping the interface simple enough yet powerful enough for those who wish to delve deeper is always a battle. I could instead build a specific tool for adding ‘skids’, but then that adds one more button to the interface.

SIMON: Some of the tools within in BTB are pretty flexible in how they can be used for facilitating different effects (for example, as you just mentioned, using the wall tools for placing tyre marks), and the limitations in end results often seem to lie with the users’ imaginations and ingenuity as much the program itself. Have you been surprised by any of the content produced with BTB, or how the program has been used to achieve certain results?

124

BRENDON: There are some guys who have a good grasp of BTB and a good eye for textures. Two tracks that spring to mind are: Seven Hills, and Sachsenring 2009 ... although there are many other commendable ones around too. I don’t get much time to check them out or race these days, though ...

SIMON: In a similar vein, has the community made any suggestions for features or functionality that have made you think, ‘Why didn't I think of that?’

BRENDON: Yes, occasionally there are some good suggestions and helpful tips from people who know the game engines well. I also examine other interfaces to see what works and what doesn’t.

SIMON: Was the decision to make BTB Evo a separate product, one that took much thinking about, or was it an easy/logical move?

BRENDON: I think about BTB and track building day, night, and all the bits in‐between, so turning this from a hobby into a sustainable business is always on my mind. The decision was very easy for me to make once I realised that forever adding to BTB Pro was not viable long term.

I am very careful about the things I promise to add into BTB so people that purchase it know what they will definitely get for their money. It usually turns out that I implement a lot more into BTB than people expected ... or at least used to. Now I think some peoples’ expectations have changed.

SIMON: With the constant updates (in terms of your YouTube channel, forum participation, and actual releases), do you sometimes feel as if you’re perhaps becoming a bit of a victim of your own success? It seems a fine line to walk among the sim‐community, and one many devs seem to struggle with ...

BRENDON: I don’t really feel it has been successful yet, so I can’t really be a victim of success. Sure it’s a good tool, and successfully helps people to create their own track, creates some laser‐scanned tracks, and is the best track editor for sim‐racing ... but I don’t really consider BTB to be a success until sales can sustain further development and allow the hiring of 3D artists to create more XPack content.

But in any case, I don’t feel like a victim at all. I am thrilled to be working on something I love, and to have this opportunity, at least for a while: to be totally absorbed in development of BTB is something I treasure. Yes, there are some downsides and distractions that take focus away from the main goal, but generally it’s a very positive activity.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

125

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

INDYSIM Bob The Track Builder

continued

projects I have worked on since. It did serve the purpose as a ‘proof of concept’, though, and from that more laser‐scanning interest has grown.

The second recent track, Oran Park LiDAR, demonstrates how BTB Laser can work with a variety of data sources. With the help of Brendan Elliot, and Chris Larmour, we delivered the second freely‐available laser‐scanned track.

I have spent of lot of time enhancing BTB Laser’s interface and making it more robust.

There are still more improvements to be made, but even as it stands now, it makes light work of what is otherwise a very difficult task.

Racing teams are now using laser‐scanned tracks to help prepare their drivers by familiarising them with the layout of the circuit. Their engineering teams are combining the point cloud data with additional surface information to try and gain a competitive edge over their rivals.

Hopefully some of these projects will filter out to the general public in the future.

I love the detail that real‐data brings to a virtual track and will be continuing the push for more laser‐scanned projects. They are time‐consuming and expensive when dealing with high density data, so we’ll need sponsorship to fund projects like this ... The cost of obtaining laser‐scanned data still remains expensive, but at least with BTB there’s an easy way to turn it into a track.

SIMON: A laser‐scanned Bathurst ... Can you shed any light on this please?

BRENDON: Not really much to tell at this stage as we’re still looking for corporate sponsorship to fund the project.

SIMON: And finally, a question you’ve probably been asked a fair few times before ... Where does the name ‘Bob's Track Builder’ come from?

BRENDON: The original name was rTracktor ... but it sounded too ‘farmish’, and when I realised there would be opportunity to support other game formats, I didn’t want to be too rFactor‐specific. Robert (Bob) is my middle name, and the name of my uncle who is also a builder. Once Bob’s Track Builder was in my head, it stuck. …

Videos are a mixed blessing. They help people understand BTB and how it can be used, but they also get out‐of‐date when I make new features or interface changes. The manual I try to keep as up‐to‐date as possible.

The forum is also great because, even though I find myself having less time to read it, the more experienced people are stepping up to assist.

SIMON: Looking to the future, as BTB’s feature set increases and the programme continues to develop, do you see a time where the need will come to draw a cut‐off line and focus on a new, follow‐up programme (be it for business or programming reasons), or should users expect to see more off‐shoots of the programme, à la Evo? BRENDON: There is a lot more content/features planned for BTB, but I do have plans for a next‐gen track builder, too.

The financial success, or lack of, will determine what happens with me and BTB. Version 0.8 will be out in a month or so, and after that I will be working on some other projects and giving BTB a break for a while. This is something I have worked on part‐time for three years, almost every night whilst working a regular job: then for the past ten months it’s been twelve‐sixteen hours a day on BTB and BTB‐based projects. It’s time for a break for a few months, both for my mental and financial state, and to take stock of where the future will head.

SIMON: Although future trends are often hard to predict, do you foresee any major changes in the way sims will operate, and track structures are handled that will prompt a new approach?

BRENDON: I do see potential for the newer DirectX technique to be used to greater advantage in future game engines, and BTB could be altered without too much trouble to support some of them. Currently, I’m still busy polishing off the current features in BTB to give them too much thought.

SIMON: In terms of recreating real tracks: with iRacing, we have seen laser‐scanned tracks coming to a home audience. You successfully demonstrated BTB’s ability to operate in this arena with the release of Eastern Creek last year, and more recently Oran Park. What has been happening on the laser‐branch of BTB, and where do you see this going?

BRENDON: I am very proud of BTB Laser, and how it creates laser‐scanned tracks from point cloud data. We can now produce laser‐scanned tracks more efficiently and with great{er} accuracy when compared to other techniques.

Eastern Creek Laser was my first endeavour into the world of laser scanning and, because of the shoe‐string budget, the data quality was not great by comparison to other

WEBSITE: http://www.bobstrackbuilder.net/ FORUMS: http://forum.racedepartment.com/bobs‐track‐builder/ YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/Piddy555

126

www.autosimsport.net

USEFUL LINKS

Volume 5 Number 2

Haulin’ iRacer

Pro‐File

A nomad by profession, Grant Caron can be found iRacing virtually every night from out of the cab of his Big Rig (except, of course, when he serves his suspension from the service for losing it on the forum!): Ivan Askew caught up with the haulin’ iRacer to find out all about commitment …

IVANASKEW

127

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Pro‐File Haulin’ iRacer

continued

Steven Grant Caron was born in Pomona, California, thirty‐eight sun‐filled years ago, and southern California he’s called home for most of his life: He moved to Sacramento when he was nineteen, where he started a career as a car salesman, a career that would last sixteen years: In 2002, he got married, had a daughter, (‘a beautiful daughter, Lauren, who is now four’), got a promotion to Finance Manager, and settled in for middle‐age … then one day his marriage fell apart, (‘it wasn’t for me’), his job turned into a daily grind of stress and strain, and not even southern California’s sunny days could avert what was coming: Grant swapped his job for a desk and a computer for a year or two, before the Great Recession of ’07 took root, making him redundant: By that time, he was also divorced.

In the gloom, Grant found himself walking into the offices of a company called ‘May Trucking’—based out of Oregon—one fine spring day, and set about charting a new course, one that would see him crisscross the United States hauling produce in a big rig ...

‘I drive the lower forty‐eight states delivering mostly frozen foods and beer product,’ Grant told me when finally he managed to find some time to reply to my emails. ‘I drive about 3,000 miles a week, about 500‐to‐600 miles a day. I have seen almost all the states; I love it, especially with the economy.’

Grant never knew or met his father until he was twenty‐six: As it turned out, his dad was a minor drag‐racer from the ’60s and ’70s, and had raced against legends like Don ‘the snake’ Prudhomme, the first man ever to run over 250mph in a funny car. It explained a lot, this meeting, because by then Grant was already addicted to racing, a love that began with NASCAR and had extended out to racing of all sorts and genres. ‘I think racing was just in my blood,’ Grant says. ‘The first NASCAR race I watched was in ’94 when Jeff Gordon was first starting to win. My number in high‐school was ‘24’ when I played sport, so it was logical that he’d get my support: Also, I was new to NASCAR, and Jeff was new, too, so he was ‘my driver’ … of course,’ Grant adds, ‘him winning didn’t hurt either.’

A love for racing saw Grant dip into simulated‐racing: ‘One of the first sims I had was NASCAR 4. I remember purchasing the box‐set that had the trucks and Busch. I had Grand Prix Legends, too: That one was difficult just to stay on the track,’ he recalls laughing, ‘loved it though. Through the years I had many different console‐games prior to going strictly PC— stuff like Need For Speed and others, and of course Gran Turismo. I remember using the GP4 wheel and a stand‐up dinner‐tray every day and night to get all the cars. I was hoping to someday be able to race others online. I was addicted and still am to speed and racing. Then came NASCAR 2003, and I was hooked … online and NASCAR …’

Grant was an athlete in high school, until a broken leg—and convalescence in Nevada— put pay to that dream: But his competitive nature never left, and a combination of NASCAR and online racing filled a void in his life. Grant admits real‐racing—like his father—remains a target, but, ‘The fact that I haven’t hit the lottery yet is getting in my way!’

128

‘They have wireless at some random truck‐stops or most major ones like Flying J, TA, Pilot, and Petro, and they also obviously have WiFi in different cities and at places like Starbucks,’ Grant says. ‘But some TAs and Petros have what is called IdleAire which have units that plug right in through the window of the cab of my big rig. These units have TV connections, power connections, built‐in air conditioning, and wired high‐ speed internet through an Ethernet cable.’

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Pro‐File Haulin’ iRacer

continued

Papyrus got a little short with racers, and everyone was branching out,’ recalls Grant, ‘I tried out the EA NASCAR sim for a while, and became part of a few leagues which were a lot of fun, but the sim was not as challenging. I dabbled in GP2 and other primarily road‐racing games, but always loved the stock car ones the most.

I did some rFactor and the like, but the graphics and feel weren’t for me—even though I did well in the leagues.’

Like many, Grant was rootless after the demise of Papy’, dabbling and searching until Papyrus returned in the guise of iRacing: ‘Now I’m feeling very good about how far it has come and the product they have delivered,’ he says. ‘The points system is excellent, and the cars are not easy to set up and drive (which to me is very realistic). I see them growing their product and the community, so I couldn’t be more happy or more addicted to sim‐racing. Sim‐racing gives guys like me a chance to race, especially at iRacing with my heroes and the like.’

He is, he says, ‘Having the time of my life racing out of my Big Rig.’

The Big Rig He’d been trucking for a while, busy with his new life, when he realized that he was pining for some speed—more, that is, than he could muster from his eighteen‐ wheels of steel. He was missing online sim‐racing, and he was missing the thrill of competing. ‘I had been checking out iRacing through some YouTube clips and forums to see if it was worth the effort to Rewarding years followed until the whole FIRST debacle of ’05 soured the deal: ‘After

129

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Pro‐File Haulin’ iRacer

continued

figure out how to make this hobby of mine work with the trucking,’ Grant recalls. ‘One day I decided to pick‐up my desktop from home and see if I could figure it out. I knew that somehow I could harness the power through my batteries (there are four or more on a big rig), so that really wasn’t going to be an issue. The main issue was the space in my truck—at that time I had a truck with a smaller overall cab in it. My other concern was if my Verizon USB wireless card would work with iRacing, and whether I could get enough signal on the road. I knew I could get signal with IdleAire at truck‐stops such as TA (TravelCenters of America), and Petro. Plus, I could get power there, if I needed it. Problem was, my company will only let my truck idle so much a week, otherwise I have to pay for my extra fuel usage.’

Out on the road, between 500 mile runs, Grant slowly got to terms with running iRacing when he would pull on over with the night yawning and soft. ‘Between the wired truck stops and the random rest areas that featured wireless signals,’ Grant explains, he was able to begin racing online. ‘To solve the power issue when I am not wired, I use a 1,000 watt power‐ inverter plugged into my batteries like a jumper cable. The inverter has standard plugs for my extension cord. I run my power strip off that and, voila, I have power anywhere!’

As for the space issues, Grant first started with a small table in the cab, but soon found that to be far too space‐constrictive: He could hardly get around the setup if he needed to get out of the cab quickly, or start the truck after the warning buzzers for low batteries sounded. So he surfed the net for info’ on a better system for his G25, and found a couple of solutions, one of which was the Wheel Stand Pro {reviewed in Volume 5, Number 1 of AutoSimSport—Ed}. ‘This wheel‐stand gave me extra room to get around in the cab,’ Grant says, ‘and I use a standard wooden dinner‐ tray that I unfold and then place my 24‐inch HP monitor on.’

Grant has now perfected his setup: within five minutes of stopping the big rig, he can be online driving iRacing—and that, he adds, includes booting up his PC! Whether his trucking schedule runs around iRacing’s schedule of events, he doesn’t say—and I thought it prudent not to ask …

The process has become second‐nature by now for Grant: ‘I’ll pull up to a truck stop or a rest area, hop outside and hook up my inverter to the battery (I could permanently attach this—but I haven’t yet): My wires, power strip, computer, and Wheel Stand Pro, meanwhile, stay out at all times on the floor of my truck, to one side of the cab. All I do after the inverter routine is plug in the cord and set up my wooden TV tray‐stand with my monitor hooked up on top of it. I have a plastic box I use as a backrest, and a storage device for misc’ cords and my keyboard and mouse which are wireless: I then power up my computer, sign in, wireless connect, logon to iRacing, and light the fires and burn the tyres!’

An optimum solution which was perfected over the course of perhaps 10,000 miles … ‘In the future,’ Grant adds, ‘I may just take out my bottom bunk and set it up permanently with a chair and everything. Right now, though, I sit on the bottom bunk facing the windshield of the big rig and race.’

Racing in his rig, Grant confesses, has provoked some amused curiousity from some of his on the road buddies: ‘“Wow, now that’s commitment”, they’ll say—and I tell them that, “yah, I am either committed, or need to be committed!”.’ iRacers, meanwhile, who are in on Grant’s secret usually ask him where he is, and what kind of connection speed he’s getting. Grant notes that he’s probably raced in every state in the U.S. (apart from Alaska and Hawaii): a rolling billboard for iRacing if ever there was one, though apparently iRacing have yet to commit to sponsoring him on his continental journey!

Grant iRaces whenever he gets the chance, and that depends on how far he has driven, and how far he has yet to drive: That said, ‘If I have a good window and a good signal on the road, I’m iRacing—I love it,’ he says, before adding, ‘if I ever hit the Powerball you would be seeing me on TV racing somewhere. That’s my dream ... I’m thirty‐eight now, so it’s a pipe dream, but it’s still a dream. Maybe through trucking I will have that possibility. For now I am very satisfied with iRacing ... it’s the best, and I iRace about five days out of the week for at least four hours a day.’

The choices of how a trucker can remotely connect to cyberspace are about as far from the days of CB radio as one can imagine (Smokey, where are you now?), and options for a mechanically‐driven nomad lost in the vastness of the continental U.S. to wire himself into the world are legion. ‘They have wireless at some random truck‐stops or most major ones like Flying J, TA, Pilot, and Petro, and they also obviously have WiFi in different cities and at places like Starbucks,’ Grant says. ‘But some TAs and Petros have what is called IdleAire which have units that plug right in through the window of the cab of my big rig. These units have TV connections, power connections, built‐in air conditioning, and wired high‐speed internet through an Ethernet cable. Problem with that is, it’s $2.50 an hour to use, plus $2.95 for all‐night internet, and that’s with their Gold Service. So basically that was about $25.00 a night when I would hook up a few nights a week, and although it’s partially a write‐off for business purposes, it still wasn’t the way I wanted to go because I would have to find one of these IdleAire locations and, frankly, they are not exactly everywhere. I needed a new cost‐effective and versatile plan—and that’s when I decided to buy the inverter for my batteries on the big rig: Basically, this inverter allows me to convert the batteries’ power to be compatible for plugging into my desktop computer.’

As I write this, I use iRacing’s voyeuristic stats page to find out when last Grant iRaced: I find it was last night, at 2.00am, and my mind drifts to some lonely stretch of somewhere in America with a canopy of stars up in the firmament below which a man sits cozily in his dimly‐lit rig racing against guys thousands of miles away, safely ensconced in their homes, with no idea that they are racing against a nomad … the world, I reckon, really is unrecognizable from the place I grew up in …

130

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Bjorn’s Dream

Trackside

Bjorn ‘Soyseitan’ Klaassen’s Eifel track for rFactor has Bob Simmerman contemplating the leap from fantasy to reality by way of simulated dreamscapes …

BOBSIMMERMAN

131

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Trackside Bjorn’s Dream

continued

In April of 2008, Bjorn Klaassen, with experience as a 3D ‘generalist’ in a post‐production capacity from 2005 to 2008, joined W!Games in Amsterdam, Holland, intent on becoming more proficient with game asset creation. He duly set out to create a fictional track for rFactor that would not only give us all a new place to drive, but would be directly applicable to his real‐life job since the techniques he used for the track would, he believed, give him valuable experience and insight into his chosen line of work.

The feel for the track, however, was a simple thing to dream up since, well, he literally dreamt it up! “The original idea {came} in a dream,” Bjorn tells me, “{in which} I was driving around and inside a castle in the German woods.”

Naturally this would be cause for some interesting debate with my shrink, but Bjorn, when I suggested a date, was rather less than enthusiastic …

As for the process itself, Bjorn explains that he wanted to, “check if I could create an epic track which was fun to drive, with technical corners, height differences, overtaking possibilities, etcetera. In retrospect, it cost me more than a year to make this … around half of that time was the design process, the rest {the actual} production.”

Bjorn had many objectives for the project, and since each is probably a multi‐volume book, a ‘simple’ list, in his own words, should suffice. (Of course, those of you familiar with my writing will know this is code for, I don’t have a clue what it all means!)

132

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Trackside Bjorn’s Dream

continued

133

–Become proficient with low‐poly modeling –Perform tasks using the fewest and lowest resolution textures possible –Learn to properly shade objects in real‐time. (Normally, shading is rendered in passes during post‐production, for example, diffuse/specular/shadow passes, and then composited later. But now I had to combine all of this and make it work together –Become proficient with shadow/light maps for real‐time use and to use multiple UV maps on the same object –Figure out a way to get the landscape filled with a lot of trees and bushes. Versions 1.0 and 1.1 had around three million triangles; it would be insane to manually place all of these trees –Figure out a way to get rid of most of these trees since only people with high end PCs could run the track. I solved it by partially deleting all trees and bushes which were beyond five meters off the track and repeating them with just a couple of planes with the texture of a forest And so began the laborious work of creating the track, a track that, despite being fictional in nature, had to, to Bjorn’s way of thinking, become that real place in his dream. “{I wanted to} analyze what makes a track in a forest believable. I put it down to a couple of things, such as realistic/desaturated textures from photo material, and a lot of shadows.”

In order to accomplish this, Bjorn decided to forsake ISI’s tools and came up with his own scripts. “The scripts wrote my camera setup and the ‘*.scn’ file properly,” he explains. “The scripts just looked into my scene, analyzed it, and well, did its stuff!”

It is, naturally, rare to find us racing along a dreamscape dimly routed in a fictional reality in a simulator, but that is what you will find when you first set out onto the magnificent 9.6km track. The quickest F1 cars will look at lapping the track in somewhere over three minutes over a layout that is a bone‐chilling mixture of technical and ‘flat out’, with quite a bit of ‘tight and confining’ thrown in. From a visual standpoint, the track is a feast for the eyes, and Bjorn, I think we can safely say, did a splendid job converting his dream into a realistically textured track, without somehow creating something ‘cartoony’. The track is believable, and it’s also–more importantly– highly engaging with many elevation changes including convincing trips through curving tunnels and sweeping bridges with astonishing shadows and lighting throughout.

Given the long distance of the track and my insane workload I foolishly maintain for seemingly negative results, learning the full layout of the 1.5 version of the track, released June 18, 2009, would be prohibitive at best. And yes, that’s my excuse and I’m naturally sticking to it.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Trackside Bjorn’s Dream

continued

I figured the HistorX mod Porsche GT RSR would serve me well on the daunting first lap of this damn fine track, and off I went. Fantasy yes, but when a track is designed and implemented well, it is every bit as good as any real‐life track (and a damn‐site better than anything created by that Tilke chap), and sometimes–like this one here–better. This is the kind of track you find yourself wishing existed somewhere beyond Bjorn’s dreaming mind: And, well, now it does, doesn’t it?

Bjorn wasn’t kidding about those shadows, either, you get a great look at some of them as you make your way into the first tunnel. Noticeably darker than whence you just came, the transition from open track to tunnel is enhanced by the near perfect lighting inside and outside of the gaping mouth. Far from pitch black, your vision is nevertheless reduced, and no‐one would blame you for turning on the headlights, you know, just to be on the safe side.

As I feared, my trip was short lived—a faulty AI unit probably ran into me as I can’t imagine I just spun out on my own, but there I was–yet again off‐piste. Seizing a perfect screenshot session opportunity, I picked an AI driver to watch (as they seemed to at least know the layout well enough to complete a lap or two). Cycling through the various camera views, I especially enjoyed the view from the ‘TV viewpoint’ camera. Besides giving a great and realistic look at the speeding cars, this view revealed portions of the track that I had to stop and admire; a delightful pond resides inside a looping portion of the track, complete with lily pads and gorgeous surrounding scenery, and there are fine details like this scattered throughout the entire 9.6kms. Anyone driving this track definitely should set some time aside for sightseeing. The view distance is extensive, and the sky is sufficiently believable to make you think at least once about wearing some sun screen.

134

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Trackside Bjorn’s Dream

continued

And I’ll be damned—it’s Mr. T up in the grandstand! I can hear him now, in his rough and tumble grumbly voice, “I PITY THE FOOL WHO DOESN’T DRIVE THIS TRACK. GRRRRRRRRRR” Naturally the one thing most will notice immediately is the trees: There must be trillions of trees, and I would say Bjorn did very well with his tree placement and optimizations! In parts, you can see that the forest is really more like a layer designed with a forest texture, but it isn’t something I ever saw from the driver’s seat. In fact, I think that I would say that the Eifel track is one of the best landscaped tracks I have yet seen; believable, plentiful, and

diverse. The world around the Eifel is every bit as intriguing as the track itself, every bit as impressive as the plentiful vegetation, structures of all shapes, sizes, and types populate the track. Castle‐like structures, buildings, shops, grandstands, massive bridges, the detail is as easy to appreciate as it is magnificent to drive through.

A visually stunning track with a challenging and well thought‐out layout makes the Eifel a definite must have, and leaves one thinking how nice it would be to reside in Bjorn’s dreams … just for a little while, anyway.

Top effort!

135

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

APPS

iRacing VBOX Telemetry Converter iRacing have made it known that telemetry for their sim will not be forthcoming anytime soon, and iRacers—many of whom have grown up with MoTeC—have decided to take matters into their own hands … Martine Wedlake’s VBOX is one such application. Bob Simmerman takes a tour along with the designer …

BOBSIMMERMAN

136

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

APPS iRacing VBOX Telemetry Converter

continued

Sometime in December of 2008 I was lurking on the iRacing forums (where a man should tread carefully lest he upset some of the ‘elite’ racers and suffer the indignity of being told by some squid why he ought to abandon the system ASAP) looking for incriminating magazine‐editor posts when I stumbled upon a post by Martine Wedlake in which he announced the release of a telemetry converter he had created for iRacing.

I quickly ceased my mud slinging campaign research and took a good look at what Martine had brought to the users of iRacing.

As to what prompted the creation of this converter, Martine explains that he, ‘Had been using the PerformanceBox data logger from RaceLogic for about a year when I saw the announcement from iRacing that they were going to release a telemetry API. I knew right away that there was an opportunity for reading the data from the API and providing it into the VBOX tool set.’

The result is the impressive VBOX tool set that sports a number of juicy capabilities (as of version 1.4) which we will quickly enumerate.

Individual channels vs. distance or time: Speed—Height—Lateral acceleration—Longitudinal acceleration—RPM—Brake (on a scale of 0‐1)—Throttle (on a scale of 0‐1)—Gear—Drift angle— Gear ratio—Track percentage. In addition, traction circles, lap split time analysis, driving line plots, and the ability to compare up to five laps simultaneously exist with the converter and subsequent use of the DriftBox software for analysis.

Clearly, iRacing is not immune from community ‘attention’ as Martine has shown. The program itself is a snap to install and subsequently use, but with all of the VBOX, DriftBox, PerformanceBox, and similar named products, one can be lead to a bit of confusion as to what this thing actually does, and how to use it.

But not to worry, it is, as they say on the box, so easy that even ‘an AutoSimSport writer can do it’ (after only eleven phone calls and fifteen emails pleading for help) …

So What Is A VBOX And Can A Man Breakdance With It? Basically, Martine’s converter is turned‐on prior to an iRacing session and runs in the background with no performance hit in sight. Off to the track you go, and after logging a few laps and exiting the sim—or ALT TAB events—you can then fire up the DriftBox software and get a

137

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

APPS iRacing VBOX Telemetry Converter

continued

much closer look of your on‐track exploits in the form of timing analysis, lateral and longitudinal G force analysis, traction circles, throttle and brake positions, and dozens of other fun things that will explain to you precisely why certain ‘elite’ iRacers are, as they will take the first opportunity to tell you on the forum, faster than you.

While you will not find the detailed suspension analysis provided by the AIM software (which you will find standard with your netKar Pro purchase), or the MoTeC programs (used in GTR and GTR2 out of the box), you will find plenty to keep you busy as you may, for example, spend half the night trying to improve your 0‐100km/h times, as displayed by DriftBox in a convenient table display format, or drool over your bravery at Lime Rock Park, T7, in an over steering Riley as the telemetry reveals you didn’t lift as much as the lap before …

‘The converter programme is pretty straightforward,’ Martine tells me, ‘it just takes the velocity data from the iRacing telemetry and converts it into position coordinates that feed into the VBOX tools. One limitation is that, because iRacing telemetry doesn’t provide absolute positions of the car, I establish the origin of the coordinate system at wherever the car first enters the simulated world— this means that telemetry data taken from different sessions where you enter at different pit stalls always ends up with a bit of an offset. It would be nice to eliminate that offset, but it’s up to iRacing to provide the data.’

With his iRacing API telemetry converter tool, Martine has given iRacers the ability to take a detailed look at things from the engineering side of the pits, the lack of which remains one of iRacing’s biggest failings. The fact of the matter is, iRacing sells itself as a simulator, but without the ability to chart my lap against that of, say, Greger Huttu, I am missing out on a significant piece of the puzzle: and without being able to see, as it were, if my rear tyres are slipping out of T1 at Summit, I am, to a certain degree, floundering around in the dark when it comes to setting up my car.

But enough whining: I asked Martine why he had chosen the VBOX family of over its more famous competition.

‘RaceLogic has several data viewers all based on the same root technology,’ Martine explains, ‘the VBOX tools, DriftBox Tools, and the PerformanceBox tools; I ended up choosing the DriftBox tools because it’s freely downloadable from their website and supports most of the features we needed. One of the things that makes the VBOX tool set so attractive is that it can read in text formatted data files (called .VBO) instead of just binary data files (what VBOX calls .DBN files). This makes it much easier to reverse‐ engineer the data format.’

After using the DriftBox software, I can see Martine’s point. It comes with a detailed manual, and a few hours spent reading it alongside Martine’s seamless and well‐

designed converter program had me calculating 0‐160‐0km/h times in no time—not to mention improving my setup skills, and laptimes, in the process.

When I asked about new features that he may have in mind, Martine replied that this, being a community‐based project, was still being worked on, and that any hands‐ on‐deck would certainly come in, so to speak, handy: ‘There’re a few ideas kicking around in my head, maybe your readers might be able to provide some feedback for me if any of them are interesting.

‘First off is spoken laptimes {where one can} use the Microsoft Speech API to speak laptimes as you cross the start/finish line (and perhaps time splits). This would be kind of like rFactor. {Another refinement could be} other telemetry viewers: I’d be interested in viewers other than the VBOX tools; this is a bit tricky as I also want to make sure that I’m legally allowed to use them (for example, the EULA for MoTeC specifically disallows the use of data files that are not produced by their products).

Then there is fixing limitations: If I can get the world coordinates through the iRacing telemetry API, I can make data files that are not sensitive to which pit stall you enter the world in. This would be really helpful for comparing sessions made in the online practice mode. {And finally} there is the export/import to/from Google Earth. Because of some coding limitations, the data files produced by the VBOX converter does not integrate with Google Earth; with some effort, I can make them line up better, but would only be interested in this approach if it was sufficiently valuable to the folks using it. Today, if you want to make a circuit file, you have to do it by driving around the edge of the track, whereas with this change, you would be able to import it right from Google Earth as per the instructions provided by RaceLogic.”

If you like the technical side of things and haven’t done so yet, make sure to head over to the iRacing forums and grab the latest copy of the VBOX converter: It isn’t perfect, and it isn’t MoTeC, but it does the job, and does it well. And if you’re a techie with some time on your hands, and interested in a fun challenge, make sure to PM Martine: or you can just send him a thank‐you for this excellent application.

138

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Going Back In Circles

OvalOffice

On March 8th, iRacing.com released the latest build of their simulation‐racing software, this the second major build of the year (the first having been released back in January). With it, the March build also released the final element in the top‐three vehicles in the national touring series ladder of NASCAR, as well as the Spec Racer Ford (SRF), the latter entirely free of cost. Sandeep Banerjee takes a look at NASCAR in iRacing.

SANDEEPBANERJEE

139

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

OvalOffice Going Back In Circles

continued

140

Going Back In Circles In the autumn of last year, the Chevy Silverado truck was released by iRacing as the first major NASCAR vehicle, and veteran drivers that had honed their craft on Papyrus’ legendary line of NASCAR simulations were given a fine taste of things to come. What did come, in January of this year, was the top‐of‐the‐line NASCAR race car, the Chevy Impala SS Car of Tomorrow (COT).

The staff said it was a true indicator of how far they had come since the venerable NASCAR Racing 2003, their last major simulation title that simulated a Cup car. And suffice to say, it didn’t disappoint, and gave us the first valid reference point in a head‐to‐head comparison of where Kaemmer has evolved his physics in the six years since his last (and best) sim was released.

The car is a challenge on every level: whether it be setting it up or driving it around the many laser‐scanned Sprint Cup venues on offer in the sim, the virtual driver can expect to have his knowledge and skill‐set pushed to the max in this beast. Even veteran drivers with past championship credibility at top leagues struggled to get a handle on it to the point where they could confidently race in it. Despite the website claiming the car had 750‐plus BHP, almost everyone agreed it was probably closer to 850‐900. Almost every aspect of the COT that can be adjusted in real‐life can be tweaked here, and real‐life Sprint Cup drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. were belting laps around the virtual Lowe’s Motor Speedway during many practice sessions in the first week before the new season kicked off, offering much‐needed advice to iRacers about setting up and driving the car.

But with the lack of a Nationwide Series car (for non‐NASCAR‐heads, the COT would be the F1 of American touring cars, while the Nationwide would be a sort‐of GP2), the COT had to be made accessible to C 4.0‐plus license users, instead of just B 4.0‐plus and A drivers for the first season of 2009 (iRacing has a licensing tier system that runs from rookie through C, B, and A).

In March, that void was filled in with the release of the Chevy Impala SS ‘B’ car, aka the Nationwide Series car.

The Impala SS B The Impala SS B has a similar dash as the COT and features the illuminated Proparts LLC Spek gauges system that many real‐life teams are now using as standard. The feature that this gizmo introduces is a tachometer with backlit colour changes based on pit‐road speeds (NASCAR do not allow for auto‐pit‐lane speed restrictors as you’d find in most other series). Under normal racing RPMs, the dash is a nice calm blue, but when you drift under the RPM you ought to be running on pitroad, it turns yellow; green, on the other hand, indicates when you’re at the correct RPM; red will inform you that you have stepped over the limit and to probably expect a penalty in your near future. A real‐life video demonstration of these gauges as they were shown on NASCAR Performance on SPEED is available on this link.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

OvalOffice Going Back In Circles

continued

The Impala SS B has a slightly restricted engine as found on the ‘truck’, so horsepower numbers are in the 650‐700 BHP range. It turns in much better than the COT, though, and has better drivability off the corners, too.

The tyre model for all three of the top series tin‐tops were given a solid polish with the March update, and now feature a much lower slip angle tolerance which has resulted in a far more realistic and credible tyre surface temperature readouts than we had been seeing in previous builds. Falloff is much more realistic as well, and this really makes the sim‐racer focus on finding the right balance between handling and speed over the course of a run.

Downforce numbers on the truck have been reduced and altered significantly based on new data received from Kevin Harvick Inc., and this has gone a long way toward preventing races at the 1.5 mile tracks from becoming a wide open draft‐fest like at Daytona or Talladega. Coupled with the new tyre model, this ensures that driving style and setup play a determining role (as it should), and this has resulted in fields that can spread out far‐and‐ wide over the course of a long green‐flag run. Corner speeds, laptime falloff, and driving technique mimic the real‐world quite accurately.

The aero’ model in the sim, along with the drivetrain and engine simulation, however, remain in their infancy. The Riley Daytona Prototype, also now available to subscribers on the road‐racing side of the sim, is so far the only car that models some degree of advanced airflow, and this is reflected in the sophisticated wing setting options available for the car, such as Gurney flaps and wicker bill adjustments. But as far as the other cars go, including the stock cars, the only reason you’d want to induce a rake is to lower the center of mass at the front, since the aero’ downforce generated on the car in real‐life by sealing off the front end as low to the ground as possible isn’t of any benefit yet in the sim. A new advanced aero’ model might be in the works for the next build that will be released before Season 3, and many are hoping it makes aero’ a more important factor in setting up and racing these stock cars at the big intermediate tracks and superspeedways.

Meanwhile, the company has kept on churning out its laser‐scanned masterpieces of race tracks. Stock car guys got Talladega International Speedway, Darlington Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway, while road‐course fans got Watkins Glen, and Road Atlanta. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Chicagoland Speedway, are also now available.

Looking Forward As this issue goes to the press, there’s a lot to look forward to in iRacing, as the developers cast an eye to enticing the European market to dip their toes into the subscription‐service.

The long‐awaited and legendary Corvette C5R, and Lotus 79 will be released, raising the standard of the road side of things to a similar level as that currently on tap for the oval runners. New features that will add more dimensions to the setup and racing experience are also expected, as has become standard with every new build. There’s also the inaugural Pro Series kicking off in August where the Top‐250 drivers in both Oval and Road will be competing in their respective disciplines. The first Pro Series season will consist of twenty‐ five rounds and all future Pro and WDC seasons will consist of thirty‐nine rounds. The competition to be in contention has heated up in recent months, with drivers trying furiously to get their iRating and Safety Rating stats up as high as possible to make the cut.

It promises to be an exciting second half of 2009. Stay tuned.

141

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

OvalOffice Going Back In Circles

continued

If You Win The Virtual Series, You Drive In The Real Series … For Real Yo! Another big announcement was a tie‐up between iRacing and the Volkswagen TDI Cup. The partnership will aid in current Jetta TDI Cup driver training, and identify driver candidates for future seasons. In September, the Jetta TDI Cup series car will join the list of race cars offered on iRacing.com, and iRacing will launch an online version of the series which will be the primary gateway for eligible young drivers to earn their way into future seasons of the on‐track series, thereby starting their careers as professional drivers. This is a first in sim‐racing history, and a massive shot in the arm to our whole sport.

Competition in the online series is expected to be as fierce and exciting as the on‐track Jetta TDI Cup race action. iRacing.com Jetta TDI Cup series participants will be battling to earn their way into the 2010 driver selection event and compete for the chance to receive a fully‐funded ride in the 2010 SCCA Pro Racing Jetta TDI Cup series driving the iRacing.com car.

Finally, iRacing.com appeased all the subscribers that have long been clamoring for tracks outside of North America with an announcement that they’ve signed a deal with classic British road courses Brands Hatch, and Oulton Park to scan their facilities. ‘I'm particularly pleased that these two facilities are going to be the leading edge of the expansion of iRacing’s circuit inventory into the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia,’ said Divina Galica, iRacing’s Director of Partner Relations. Data collection at the two tracks will begin in July, and the completed circuits are expected to be available early next year to members of the service for practice and racing.

NASCAR And Kaemmer’s Reunion iRacing.com have made some pretty big announcements in the past few months, not the least of them an official partnership with the sanctioning body NASCAR. The two org anizations are joining forces to create a NASCAR‐sanctioned online racing series, a new competition division that will be licensed by NASCAR and organized and hosted by iRa cing set for a January 2010 start.

This comes as a blessing for sim‐racers who had nowhere to turn to for a quality official NASCAR sim after Papyrus signed off on their long‐term relationship with NAS CAR as the series’ official simulation company after NASCAR 2003. NASCAR then hande d the the reigns to Electronic Arts who quickly dropped the ball, and, as that announcer on TV would have it, they went and ‘droven’ it all into a wall …

A bright future awaits sim‐racers with this tie‐up that promises to help both sides in gaining exposure in each others’ markets. Obviously the contribution of Dale Earnhardt Jr. cannot be ignored in making all this come about. Earnhardt, an avid sim‐racer since the days of TEN in the early 1990s, worked tirelessly not only to provide constant feedback to develop the sim with experience drawn from his many years in top level stock car competition, but also in convincing NASCAR to realize the benefits of having a flexible license that distinguishes between arcade games and simulations. With ever more reduction in testing in real‐world racing series, simulations have become extremely important for race teams and drivers.

CLICK TO PLAY

LEFT: The illuminated Proparts LLC Spek gauges system …

RIGHT: iRacing NASCAR Nationwide Chevy Impala racing at Lowe's

142

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

HARDWARE REV S U

G25-E WHEEL MOD G25 PEDAL PAD simBOOTS

143

www.autosimsport.net

144 152 157

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD

LOUMAGYAR

Professional Force For The G25 Lou Magyar takes the ARC_Team’s Logitech G25 modification out for a few laps to get a feel for what professional‐grade Force‐Feedback is all about … and comes away with an understanding of what ‘cleaning‐up’ forces is actually about …

‘The experience garnered from working alongside F1, GP2, World Series, F3 and other category drivers allied with many top‐level sim‐ racers have helped us to define and realize a modification that gives more power and a better ‘cleaning’ of the Force‐Feedback effects on the G25. Simply put, there is an overall power increase of the force, but that is secondary to our actual goal which is to define the feel of those forces at work in your hands.’ —Andrea Rossetti, CEO ARC_Team 144

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

Getting There—And Back So there I was, racing happily with my Logitech G25 wheel when out of the blue, just a short while after our last issue, Alex asks me to send my wheel away for modification. Wait …

What? Part with the G25 in the middle of race season? What ever for?

Well, Alex had arranged for ARC_Team (ARC is an acronym for Advanced Reality Constructors) to modify ‘a’ G25 for us to review: This being Alex, the prospect of him having to dismount his G25 from his PlaySeat (from which it has not moved since the day it was mounted—despite the

fact that he has moved apartments twice in that time!) was far too much to bear, and so, after some persuasion (‘Lou, those ARC guys work with dozens of real‐world drivers: Trust me, you will not regret this!’), I was ready to part ways with my G25 …

Despite previous coverage of ARC_Team in AUTOSIMSPORT, I was sadly ignorant on what they did … yeah, sometimes it’s hard to find time to read my own magazine. After doing some research, though, I was both excited—and not a little apprehensive.

ARC_Team seemed to be a quality outfit, but their Logitech G25 modification was, according to their website, reported as producing, ‘More power and definition of the Force‐Feedback effects {which will create a} driving experience [that] will become as thrilling and tiring as real driving!’

Wonderful! Except, of course, for the small fact that Ted Heys had sold the Virtual Roadster chassis from—literally—under me (I had been loaning his wonderful Cadillac‐like race‐rig) with the result that I (and my Logitech G25) was now attached to the newly acquired Wheel Stand Pro, a far cry from the rigid Virtual Roadster: Indeed, as much as I love the Wheel Stand Pro, it is just a wheel on a stick when compared to a rigid mount. So what was I getting into with this mod to make the G25 have enough power to make driving just like the real thing?

‘Trust me, Lou, you won’t regret it!’

Uh‐huh …

In order to get the wheel modified, it needed to go to Italy. And thus began my adventure with the international mailing system. What’s the best way to get a simulator‐racing wheel to Italy from Indiana? You’d be surprised that the most economical, and yet expeditious method, is with the United States Postal Service (USPS) … that’s right, the good old federal mail system. As it turns out, they have a flat‐rate fixed shipping to just about anywhere on the planet for under $50: if you can fit it in the box (which they provide), you can ship it.

The only problem is that the G25 wheel (just the wheel portion) will not fit into any of the available boxes. I asked Andrea Rossetti—ARC_Team’s CEO—what exactly he needed. Just the base, he replied, no wheel, no shifters—just the controller base.

So I set about taking apart the wheel to make it fit into the box. Having once previously removed the wheel to mount the G25 version of the SLI, I was prepared for the wires inside, and avoided potentially disastrous events with ease. Off came the wheel, followed by the gear levers. All simple enough except—the darn thing still wouldn’t fit into the box: So time to crack the case to remove the table clamps (the only way to get them out), and that did the trick: It finally fit in the box with enough space to allow for some padding. I marched it off to the local post office, paid the costs for shipping, and notified Andrea that it was on the way. In just a few days it was in their possession at their shop in Pavia (about half an hour south‐west of Milan) and being modified.

145

www.autosimsport.net

ARC_Team: Real Drivers For Real‐Control —Andrea Piccini ('GT' driver and ex 'F1' tester) —Marco Bonanomi ('World Series Renault' and 'GP2 Asia' driver) —Andrea Montermini (ex 'F1' driver—'GT' driver) —Toni Vilander ('GT' driver) —Alessandro Balzan ('GT' driver) —Andreas Zuber ('GP2 Series' driver) —Qi‐Meritus ('GP2 Asia Series') —Durango ('GP2 Series') —Walter Penker Racing —Ferrari Corse Clienti

ARC_Team: Corporate Clients Top Gear, ACI Vallelunga, Adriano Zerla, Alphapoint, Automobile Club Svizzero, Autosprint, Brivido, CIMSystem, Dinamika Dyogene, Easy, Executive Fasep, Ferrari Auto S.p.A., Ferrari Great Britain Ltd., FIAMM Group, FIAT, Franco Ghiotto, Gianni Bellandi, Giovanni Nava, Greyhound Motorsport, IDG Group, Leroy Merlin, Merichep, MGE, MIK Corse, NAMED, Opinion Leader, Puresport, Quattroruote, Red Bull Renault, SARA Assicurazioni, Scuderia Motori 911, Scuderia PlayTeam, Secur Pneus, SKY, SpeedPassion, StileF, Toni Vilander, Walter Penker Racing

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

‘My first impression is that the wheel decidedly came alive in my hands. What once was a little wiggle in the wheel became a distinct feeling of the front‐end washing out and losing grip. A drop off at, say, turn one of the Nürburgring in the BMW Sauber F1 car can truly be felt as a loss of front‐end mechanical grip. ’ 146

UPS Is Not USPS—Though UPS Does USPS’s Job! The return trip was equally as smooth—until about a week later when I got a bill from UPS (they’re the brown chaps). Turns out ARC_Team had returned the wheel by their federal postal system too, and apparently UPS—not to be confused with USPS—handles incoming federal mail from Italy, not the USPS, and UPS said that I owed duty on the shipment.

What? You’ve got to be kidding? How the hell can I owe duty on something I own and sent out to be ‘repaired’? Well, after several telephone calls, and much … erm… discussion on the matter with the UPS customs agent (probably someone on a phone in Guatemala who has never set foot in the U.S.!), I was able to convince them that what was in the box was already mine, and that it was not automotive parts, but rather computer peripherals.

‘Oh!’ she said. ‘Computer components aren’t subject to duty.’

Really? I could have sworn that was what I was telling you all along, I thought, my murderous thoughts turning toward Alex.

Putting It All Together It was now time to put the wheel back together again. Naturally this involved cracking the case to put the table clamps back inside, and this afforded me the opportunity to do some inspecting of the internals. From the outside, the obvious changes are two small muffin fans, a fuse holder, and a power switch. The fans are impressive and speak of vastly greater cooling requirements, which in turn tell me that the Force‐Feedback will indeed be much more powerful than before. Inside the case, the changes aren’t as obvious, mostly because I had never really paid that much attention to what was in there in the first place. I suppose I should have done so when I opened the case before I sent the wheel out!

According to the ARC_Team website, the kit consists of a new circuit board, the fans, fuse, a switch, and an externally‐mounted power supply. So I was looking for the circuit board changes … the magical pieces that would transform my Logitech G25 wheel into a wheel that responds ‘just like the real thing.’ I decided to accept that they were there, and get on with the business at hand. Being an electrical engineer, and not wanting to do any damage, I unplugged the wires that connect the fuse/switch/fans that are mounted in the cover from the base unit while I replaced the table clamps. There are just a few wires that make the connection from the base to the cover, and I had some difficulty getting the plug and socket to go back together for the wires that feed the on/off switch; I tried various orientations to get them to fit and, in the end, wound up getting two pairs of needle‐nose pliers to assist me with the reconnection. (If I were to offer a suggestion here, some insulated bullet/socket style connectors, spade terminals might be a bit more user friendly than those used). If my wheel stops working somewhere along the line—won’t power up, for example—I’ll know it’s because I didn’t get this connection re‐made as it came from the ARC_Team tuning‐shop.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

‘From the outside, the obvious changes are two small muffin fans, a fuse holder, and a power switch. The fans are impressive and speak of vastly greater cooling requirements, which in turn tell me that the Force‐Feedback will indeed be much more powerful than before.’

147

Having put the base back together, and remounted the shifter assembly and wheel, I was ready to get back in business. ARC_Team thoughtfully ships a line cord with the power supply: The line cord is connected to the supply, and pig‐tailed at the far end. The intent is to provide a cord, while the purchaser provides the plug for the end. I found it much easier (and less expensive) to use a line cord from an old monitor and cut the socket‐end off (making sure it isn’t plugged in!).

ARC_Team could leave off this extra bit of wire and just provide information on where the Line, Neutral, and Ground wires are to be attached, leaving the rest to the customer—but then, I suppose, they need to worry about customers like Alex. (As an edit: ARC_Team will provide a new cable with correct plug as standard for individual markets such as a three‐pole plug (two poles plus earth) moulded together for U.S. customers).

The nice, molded line cord with the cut‐off end worked great. The external power supply provides the extra boost needed to make the mod function. The internal supply that is standard on the Logitech G25 just isn’t enough to make the wheel do what the ARC_Team mod tells it to.

What to physically do with the power supply proved to be slightly more problematic … only slightly however, as my configuration with the G25 mounted to the Wheel Stand Pro had been slightly lop‐sided in the first place. I didn’t want to leave the power supply on the floor to collect dust bunnies, nor did I want it hanging by the wires to get kicked around. I worked out that it would mount splendidly under the wheel base, held in place by the now unused (thanks to hard‐ mounting) table clamps. The wheel, once offset by the shifter protruding past the front of the base, was now nicely balanced thanks to the power supply protruding on the opposite side!

Off To The Races: G‐25 E MOD In All Its Glory Having remounted the wheel and tidied up the cords and power supply, I was off to the races. My concern with using the ARC_Team G25‐E MOD with the Wheel Stand Pro was that it would be too strong. I was worried that, even with my feet firmly holding the wheel stand in place, I was going to be fighting wobble thanks to an overly powerful Force‐ Feedback. After all, the Wheel Stand Pro isn’t a Virtual Roadster, it’s just a stand to hold your wheel. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of the Wheel Stand Pro, it’s just that I didn’t think it would be up to the task of holding a writhing wheel in place while I raced.

I was wrong: Not in judging the Wheel Stand’s effectiveness, but in terms of what kind of forces were now at play in my G25.

I plugged in the power supply, with its shiny borrowed line cord, and plugged in the USB cable from the G25 … and nothing happened. No fans, no POST, nothing … ah.. the wait, the erm, switch! I wasn’t used to having to actually enable the G25 with a power switch, as it never had one before: I turned on the power, and almost became entangled in the wheel as it whipped to and fro! I grinned with pleasure, and also began to worry a bit more. The apparent responsiveness of my ‘new’ G25 was at least twice that of the old Force‐Feedback.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

‘Nothing goes un‐reported to the wheel. I wager that if you placed a one‐quarter‐inch tall ‘rock’ (just a small, isolated elevation) on the track surface, this wheel would feel and report the tyre hitting it in the form of a nudge. You will feel those nudges, as well as the shoves.’

148

The wheel POST rotation was blindingly crisp and fast. It seemed to snap to attention at top dead‐center when it was done spinning back and forth. Oh my! The fans spun to life as well, whirring along and pumping air through the G25 wheel base to keep the newly powerful electronics cool.

So let’s see how this snapping, spinning, saluting, whirring wheel behaves under pressure, shall we?

I fired up rFactor to go for a spin. After only a few turns at Mills, I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of my worrying was for nought.

The wheel wasn’t this Popeye‐forearm inducing beast I had imagined, but rather a much more responsive version of the previous G25 Force‐Feedback. Rather than feeling mushy, the response was, as the POST indicated, crisp and precise. Sure, the Force‐Feedback was strong, and it could have been turned up to be stronger in the sim—I typically run rFactor at seventy‐five percent strength—but I didn’t want to change the parameters from one version to the next, so I could get a good idea of just what had changed.

Nothing having been altered my end save for the hardware itself—the Windows XP Game Controller settings and the rFactor settings in‐game remained the same—I set about looking for the subtleties that made this wheel mod something special. And I use that word advisedly: This mod is special.

It’s difficult to go back and compare, not having both a modded and a non‐modded wheel to race with, so for the most part, what I can tell you is more impression and gut feel than actual empirical data. Sure, I could have done some benchmarking of forces using springs, torque meters, stop watches, and whatever else those inclined to do so might employ, but most of you don’t care about those details, you want to know what this thing actually does for your simulator racing experience.

Well, my first impression is that the wheel decidedly came alive in my hands. What once was a little wiggle in the wheel became a distinct feeling of the front‐end washing out and losing grip. A drop off at, say, turn one of the Nürburgring in the BMW Sauber F1 car can truly be felt as a loss of front‐end mechanical grip. The heaviness of the wheel as the aerodynamic grip forces the front‐end to the pavement in a high‐speed sweeper makes one appreciate the fact that speed is keeping you planted. It seemed that my wheel had found all the subtle nuances of the track and car, and transferred them to my hands, and thus my driving experience.

Having that sort of feedback (feel, not just force) helped me to find a better line through turns, and feel the previously unknown and unsettling event that effected the exit of a turn in which I hit the curbing a bit too vigorously. I found myself being able to catch a slip‐up that previously would have almost certainly resulted in a spin. This new‐found sense of feedback presents all four corners of the car for the virtual pilot to feel. Nothing goes un‐

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

reported to the wheel. I wager that if you placed a one‐quarter‐inch tall ‘rock’ (just a small, isolated elevation) on the track surface, this wheel would feel and report the tyre hitting it in the form of a nudge. You will feel those nudges, as well as the shoves. If you put a wheel wrong, off the verge for example, you will be presented with a wrestling match to get the car under control. Not the sort of wrestling match where two guys go into an octagon and only one comes out, mind you, but the sort where one struggles for control over the other, each allowing his opponent just enough wiggle room to maneuver to the desired result. A driver who isn’t ready will be put off‐track. One who is experienced with car control, and knows his car and its behavior, will be able to hold on and make things right without a great loss of time. However, as in any motor‐sport, a moment’s inattention is all that is needed to suffer dire consequences.

I have been driving with the G25 modded by ARC_Team for several weeks at this point. I am pleased to report that the Wheel Stand Pro is holding up quite well. My initial fears that the newly powerful G25 would overpower my ability to hold the stand in place with my feet were quickly dispelled. This mod isn’t so much about additional Force‐ Feedback power, but rather about precision and information. The more precise the wheel is, the more feedback the driver is given, and this added feedback greatly enhances your ability to predict the outcome of any given event. Wash out, oversteer, unsettling, you name it—all of the things you might experience on the track are sent through the wheel to your hands in a manner that allows you to realize what’s happening and correct it before it becomes too late to catch.

The single most important thing to sim‐racing successfully is feedback. Some feedback is just fluff (the Fanatec Porsche wheel’s vibration effect comes to mind), while other feedback is absolutely necessary, and ARC_Team have done an exceptional job of making a good wheel great with their modification. My G25 is now a professional‐level wheel, and I am a better driver for it. And quicker, too: Because I can feel what the car is doing at a level far beyond what was possible with my off‐ the‐shelf G25.

During the absence of my G25, I went back to the old red Logitech Momo Force (not the racing version, but the red‐based unit). This, I thought, was the wheel to have in its day. Then along came the Logitech G25 to usurp it … now, I offer the Logitech G25‐E MOD. If you need a Force‐Feedback wheel that tells you what the car is doing in a manner that you can interpret, if you want to be more precise in your driving, then this is the mod for you. It is not inexpensive, but if you are serious about your sim‐racing, you will not be disappointed at having incurred the expense.

‘If you need a Force‐Feedback wheel that tells you what the car is doing in a manner that you can interpret, if you want to be more precise in your driving, then this is the mod for you. This is not about increasing the force of your G25—though it will do that: It is about defining those forces.

Strength, as they say, is nothing without control …’

149

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

The Three Types Of Force You can modify your G25 in one of three ways. The first is the do‐it‐yourself version. You can buy the components, along with detailed modification instructions for €192—not including shipping or VAT. Be forewarned, though; this modification requires pulling components off of the circuit board and replacing them, and is not for the inexperienced, or faint of heart.

The second way you can have your G25 modded is by letting the ARC_Team do it for you—as they did with mine. This requires you sending the G25 to them: Once they mod it, they will send it back. This process, naturally, can be as easy or as difficult as you (and your wallet) make it: If you want, you can ship your entire wheel to them, and they will return it for a simple plug‐and‐play experience. Or, you can be like me, and find ways to keep the final price down. (Would you believe that after all of the dealings with customs, I actually got a ‘Late Payment’ fee for a balance of $0.00? Late payment because I owe nothing?) Be prepared to pay somewhere in the range of U.S$150 for bi‐directional shipping from the lower forty‐ eight. The cost for ARC_Team to modify your wheel will run you €225—plus additional VAT where applicable.

Finally, if you so choose, ARC_Team will purchase a brand new shiny Logitech G25 wheel for you, and modify it: This (wheel included) will cost you €433 plus VAT where applicable, and does not include shipping.

And in case you’re wondering, ARC_Team doesn’t include shipping costs in their pricing because it varies so much from country to country—and after my friendly encounter with the USPS and UPS, I can quite understand their reticence in that matter! Do your research ahead of time, and try to get an estimate of how much it will take (and don’t forget insurance). The cost to send the wheel from the U.S. to Italy was less than half of the cost of the return trip, in my case.

Conclusion The ARC_Team guys have a wealth of experience in creating sim‐racing peripherals for their customers, many of whom are real‐world race drivers and teams. It is not an uncommon sight to find a GP2 driver, or even F1 driver (along with his manager), at ARC‐Team’s Pavia shop running the ARC_Team’s F1 Driving cockpit with their ultra‐realistic (see AUTOSIMSPORT’s review back in 2006) pedal‐set and heavily‐modified wheels: This G25‐E MOD comes as a result of that real‐ world experience, and it does precisely as advertised—it will make your G25 into a professional‐ grade sim‐racing tool. For the price, there is no wheel on the market that even comes close to what the G25‐E Mod offers you in terms of precision and feel. Simply the best, performance‐wise, and price‐wise.

150

ARC_Team G25‐E Mod

3 Ways Of Getting It Done: —G25 (Do It Yourself): €192 —G25 (Customer‐supplied G25): €225 —G25 (ARC_Team‐supplied G25): €443 All Prices not inclusive of shipping, or VAT

—For the price, there is no wheel on the market that even comes close to what the G25‐E Mod offers you in terms of precision and feel. Simply the best, performance‐ wise and price‐wise

—Available For Both The PlayStation2, PlayStation3, and PC …

ORDER HERE www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25‐E MOD Professional Force For The G25

continued

151

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Footing The Bill

G25 PAD

Niels Heusinkveld shares his elegant and simple Logitech G25 pedal mod‐kit with Lou Magyar who discovers that, for less than fifty bucks, he can get his G25 pedals positioned any way he desires: Heel‐and‐toeing with the G25 has just become a reality …

LOUMAGYAR

152

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25 PAD Footing The Bill

continued

The possibilities for customization are almost endless. If you don’t like it, just try something else.

153

Using high‐quality precision laser‐cut aluminium parts, you can reposition the pedals to allow heel‐and‐toe techniques. Left foot brakers can increase the distance between gas and brake for added comfort. There are dozens of combinations possible … www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25 PAD Footing The Bill

continued

Niels Heusinkveld, an old GPL friend and long‐time racer, recently contacted me to inquire as to what wheel I was currently using to race. My reply—the Logitech G25—could not have been more appropriate and pleasing to Niels since he has developed a kit that allows G25 users to modify the position of the unit’s stock pedals to suit their individual driving styles.

Niels’ company, Heusinkveld Engineering, is working on both software and hardware for sim‐racing, and his entrance into the hardware market is the Logitech ‘G25 PAD’ pedal modification kit. This diminutive kit allows the user to position the pedal’s pads just about anywhere s/he might see fit in order to make them work best for their particular need or setup.

As I was already doing a review of the ARC_Team’s Logitech G25 Force Feedback mod, I was more than happy to entertain another G25 modification. After all, who wouldn’t want a tricked‐out Logitech G25? I was up for the fun!

The PAD G25 Pedal Modification Kit A petite, padded envelope arrived in my post box one day not long after Niels informed me he’d shipped the kit from his facility: The envelope held several small zip‐lock bags of screws, shims, and tools.

Niels’ PAD‐kit is minimalistic in its design, yet amazingly diverse in its ability to suit virtually anyone’s particular pedal‐position preference. The thing that struck me, so to speak, as I was unpacking the kit, was … why had no‐one before Niels had the idea to produce such a simple, efficient, and—when you come to think of it—obvious product?

Indeed, like many of the better inventions in life, Niels’ PAD kit gives someone like me—an engineer—one of those ‘why didn’t I think of this, it’s just so obvious?’ moments …

I gave the included instruction‐sheet a quick once over, just to get an idea of the principle of the thing and to see if there happened to be any ‘must’‐do items on the list before rolling up my sleeves for some modification‐work.

The kit consists of sets of hardware—various length bolts, along with washers and nuts to complete the fastening of the pads in place—which will enable the user to move one, two, or all three pedal‐pads, if they so choose.

Three offset/raise shims allow you to move the pad left or right of center, and make it longer or shorter on the end of the pedal shaft. There is also a straight‐raise shim which will simply make the pedal longer from the footrest base. Additionally, there are ten plain shims that can be used in any combination to change the relative pad height from pedal to pedal, followed by six shims with rectangular holes in them which must be used at the top and bottom of each stack of shims. These allow the molded pedal parts and screws to fit where they should without interference.

154

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25 PAD Footing The Bill

continued

You’ll also find an assortment of screws in various lengths, all of which are determined by the number of shims used on a per‐pad basis. Sounds complicated, but actually, it isn’t; moving the pedals around takes about ten minutes, max’. As I said: Simple, obvious, and quite brilliant.

If you choose to use all the pad shims, and distribute them evenly between each pad, you’ll not fall short on hardware. If you want to make your brake pedal very tall compared to the throttle pedal, that can be done too, and again, you will not want for hardware to make it happen. Niels also included the needed tools—two Allen wrenches, and a nifty little micro‐ wrench that appears to be laser‐cut, just like all the rest of the shims and spacers—and you will not need to rummage through your box looking for any tools to make this modification a reality.

The pedal PAD‐shim set is quite simple in its form, fit, and function. The offset mounts use sets of holes which are spaced in order to allow the first shims to be mounted up/left, up/right, down/left, or down/right from the original pad position. Each foot pad can then be shimmed‐up in the location, and at the height you choose, by selecting the appropriate height of shims, and the correct length hardware to secure them.

During the process of making the modification to the pedal location, it quickly became obvious that there are literally dozens and dozens of possible configurations that you could make to the pedals: And indeed, I imagine that getting your G25 pedal set to perfectly match either that setup in your mind—or perhaps your race (or shopping) car, is perfectly possible.

If what you set‐up doesn’t work, or is uncomfortable, just change it. Two screws per pedal, and you are ‘changed’. If you are a heel‐and‐toe racer, you can move the brake pedal up, out, and closer to the throttle pedal, which can also be moved down, in, and closer to the brake pedal, so the two are within easy reach of even a size seven footed racer (I personally have no such difficulties, being a size twelve shoe wearing racer). If, on the other hand, you want to left‐foot brake, then you can move both the clutch and brake away from the throttle and shim them taller, or leave them where they are and have enough spacing so that you can sit and race in a comfortable position. The possibilities for customization are almost endless. If you don’t like it, just try something else.

Niels claims that, ‘With the PAD, Heusinkveld Engineering delivers a simple but very effective product that enhances the driving experience when using the highly acclaimed Logitech G25 controller. Using high‐quality precision laser‐cut aluminium parts, you can reposition the pedals to allow heel‐and‐toe techniques. Left foot brakers can increase the distance between gas and brake for added comfort. There are dozens of combinations possible!’

155

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

G25 PAD Footing The Bill

continued

I have to say that I agree completely with these statements … well, perhaps not on the spelling of aluminum, but hey, he’s not from around these here parts …

If you are a Logitech G25 driver, and you are looking for a way to move your pedal pads to make the position of your feet work better for your driving style, then you should look to Niels’ pedal PAD kit as it completely foots the bill for your needs. It retails for €29.95 plus shipping and is available at here at Heusinkveld Engineering.

G25 PAD —Price: €29.95 (plus shipping) —With the PAD, Heusinkveld Engineering delivers a simple but very effective product that enhances the driving experience when using the highly‐ acclaimed Logitech G25 controller. Using high‐quality precision laser‐cut aluminium parts, you can reposition the pedals into dozens of possible combinations: The PAD ranforms your pedals into your desired feel …

ORDER HERE

156

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

From SimSox To RedSox & Back

simBOOTS

Bob Simmerman dons a new pair of socks—or are they shoes—and tests the new must‐have accessory for the sim‐racer

BOBSIMMERMAN

157

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

158

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

From SimSox To RedSox Some of you may recall that a half‐a‐decade ago a fella by the name of Randall Johnson designed and built a product called ‘SimSox’ which was (or is that were?) created with the intent of making it a bit more realistic—and comfortable—to sim‐race for hours at a time. In fact, a nut job named Billy Ray published some sort of rambling diatribe about the item in our very first issue (back in January of 2005), and while I can’t reveal where ‘Billy Ray’ is incarcerated today, I can say that the SimSock has evolved quite a bit, and all of it for the good.

(Rumours that Billy Ray himself is stitching them all by hand at a pen’ somewhere in Alabama is, apparently, utterly untrue.)

Randall, meanwhile, has had an interesting five years since the introduction of the SimSox. Like so many of the creative forces in our community, Randall has extensive work experience outside of our industry, and he is trained as an accredited fashion designer, having worked as a wardrobe designer for the comedian Sinbad during his HBO run of shows in the late 1980s‐ early ‐1990s. Closer to home, he was the driving force (sorry!) at Drivers Emporium (who the old timers will remember with fond memories) before the sale of that entity to iRacing. That saw Randall shift his workload to Boston where he was charged with, among other things, designing the current iRacing brand logo (and no, we can’t reveal whose image that is).

After his departure from iRacing, Randall returned to his roots, and his latest offering to the community, the simBOOT (patent pending), is poised to once again showcase his talent and imagination.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, ‘What on earth would I need something like this for? Surely my sweaty sock that hasn’t seen a washing machine since GPL came out is good enough for all my needs!’

This is a fair question, but like many of the peripherals we use in our quest for ultimate sim‐ glory, the better the tool, the better our performance on the track. Do we need a three hundred dollar wheel? No, of course not, the sim is perfectly controllable with a fifteen dollar joystick, ‘though your laptimes are likely to suffer from a joystick‐only approach (unless you’re Wolfgang Woeger, who was a joystick‐warrior during his dominant phase in the late 1990s).

Clearly, a wheel and pedal set are the way to go, and though I mentioned a three hundred dollar sum earlier, many of us have a lot more invested in pedals, because we all know that a Cannon Simulation Technologies pedal‐set (as used by Dale Jr., by all accounts) is worth perhaps as much as half‐a‐second a lap over the generic, three hundred buck G25. See where I’m going here? Me neither, so let’s get back to the point—do you need a SimBOOT? No, no more than you need a wheel or pedal. But if you’re in this sport to perform at your highest level, then read on, because I can safely report that there is a noticeable difference when you stick‐on one (or both!) of your simBOOTs.

159

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

simBOOT We know that a shoe does not offer the feel required for the vast majority of pedals: We know, too, that anyone who has tried healing‐and‐toeing with a pair of socks on the glossy pedals of the G25 can be in for a slippery ride.

With my G25 setup, the simBOOT, meanwhile, provides the perfect mix between a sock and a street shoe: the tactile sensations that the sock allows means a far more ‘grippier’ existence between your foot and pedal, and that allows for a greater ease of movement over the pedal faces themselves, and, naturally, an enhanced ‘feel’ and therefore control.

The lacing system creates not only a perfect individual fit, but also increased stability to the boot while driving. The heel is cradled, so to speak, with a hole cut out on either side to allow for ultra‐precise fitting. They are extremely comfortable to wear, and it isn’t long before you practically forget you are wearing them.

I must be honest and say that I thought they were more of a gimmick than anything else: I wasn’t convinced that they would make much of a difference to my performance, but I have to admit—I have come away a believer. The difference they make is discernible. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to take a closer look at the SimBOOT and the custom nature of each and every boot.

The professionalism of this product is visible from way before you ever get one in your hands (or feet, as the case may be): From ordering, to using the SimFIT and SimPAINT portions of the website, to custom designing your pair, the SimBOOT webpage is a lesson in form and function and echoes the product it is selling perfectly. So good, in fact, that I’m going to take you on a tour and explain the simBOOT alongside it!

The Four Versions Of simBOOT Once you have made your way to www.simboot.com it becomes readily apparent what the SimBOOT is all about—all four versions of it. Each version differs in grip placement on the sole of the boot: The ‘heelGRIP’ model, with the sharkskin‐like grip placed only on the heel, is ideal for those who like to drive by keeping the heel relatively stable on the pedal base while sliding the toe over the pedals for gas and braking. The three other offerings, ‘toeGRIP’, ‘heel/toeGRIP’, and, finally, ‘noGRIP’, are each designed for a specific style of driving. Randy has also included detailed descriptions of each product, including descriptions of each boot model’s use with a particular pedal set, and you’d be well‐advised to spend some time reading the research before ordering your pair.

I should also add that these four are the off‐the‐rack models; due to the custom nature of each and every SimBOOT that is built, the potential customer can also choose to have one grip type on one boot, and another type on the other boot, if they so desire (your right‐foot, for instance, may need a different grip if you are a trail‐braker, or you like to heal‐and‐toe).

The Fifty‐Nine Pieces Handmade By Randall If you need to know more about the simBOOT, this is the page to visit: A clear side‐ view of the ‘noGRIP’ model is shown, with each part labeled and annotated. It reminds me of those cool blown‐up images of complicated parts in manuals we have at the lab’, the ones for the complicated (and potentially lethal) instruments I operate, usually successfully. Regardless, this page lays it down heavy for those who wish to know it all.

But, as is the case with space limitations given finite dimensions, there are a lot of interesting facts about the construction of the simBOOT that most likely wouldn’t fit on the page: For example, each boot is handmade, by Randall, from no less than fifty‐ nine individual pieces. The actual fabrication of the boot makes use of a Juki Industrial bar tacker and a Union Special Industrial sewing machine and takes, approximately, three‐ and‐a‐half hours to fabricate.

Upon physical examination, it is immediately obvious that these things aren’t slapped together—the construction, fit, and finish remind one of the fit and finish of a top‐of‐the‐line basketball sneaker. Really, it’s that good, and even better is the fact that no child labour went into the construction of these things …

The lacing system is secure and functional, and includes an easy‐to‐use plastic cord hook, nearly identical to the same sort of gizmos I have on my winter jacket that allows me to better fend off the Northern Dangers, such as the dreaded, and elusive, Arctic cobra, a truly nasty beast. Further, given the complete custom nature of the simBOOT, there is no reason in the world you couldn’t have a red one and a green one, to help you remember which one goes on which foot. No, it isn’t impossible to tell which boot is for the right foot and which for the left, but it makes it easier for me as I rapidly approach old agery.

simPAINT You can’t have a pair of custom sim‐driving boots without full control of the coloring scheme.

Each boot comes with six colored panels that the user can customize to their heart’s desire.

Perhaps you wish to perfectly match your Daytona Riley PT paint job, or, perhaps, a more conventional scheme with one or two colors that match‐on booth boots. The color choice is yours, and you have black, red, cobalt, yellow, light blue, silver, green, navy, white, and ‘camo’, to choose from. The grip selection is also included on this page, and if you wish to have a different grip arrangement from the four basic models, this is where you make that choice. You’ll also notice a handy ‘print screen’ icon that lets you print out the page so you can have your settings ready when you go to the next part of the process, the simFIT page. Randall is working on a system where the user will be able to have the selections carried to the next page automatically, but at the time of this writing the ‘print screen’ workaround is just fine.

160

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

simFIT Much like the custom paint job you get, the simFIT page provides what is, quite likely, the most important part of the entire simBOOT process—getting the fit just right. Randall has gone over the top with this aspect, not using any sort of sizing process but fully customizing the fit of each boot based on several measurements made by the user wearing only a sock on their foot. The instructions are detailed and at first may seem a bit daunting, but after a few minutes of examination, the user will get the idea. Not only are measurements made for a precise fit, but the type of toe you may have—round or square—is also taken into consideration. If done properly, you are assured of a perfect fit, and not just once; I had several pairs to look at, and not only were they all constructed to the same high standards, they all hugged me like a glove (and yes, old Bugatti did have shoes with toes on them!). Clearly, Randall’s previous work on custom design is serving the simBOOT well: Your boot will literally be custom‐designed to fit you and only you.

But the quality of the product doesn’t stop on the outside, as I found out when I slid on my pair and went out for some testing.

Test Drive … And Abuse Since I lack the necessary skill or desire to heel‐and‐toe, I thought long and hard about how to give the ‘noGRIP’ model a good workout. I chose the outstanding Superspeedway.net COT 2007 mod for NASCAR Racing Season 2003, headed straight to Atlanta, and configured the race to run a hundred laps, surely enough time to give the simBOOT a proper test, and also to determine whether they had any detrimental tendencies. As a former ‘Division 10 Legends Time Trial Champion’ of iRacing (readers can email me for a copy of my award, and I also have 15,000 of them printed and ready for collectors), I have a reputation to maintain.

After a midfield qualifying stint, I took to the track and the race began. About midway through, I realized that I really liked the simBOOT. The grip on the toe gave me a better feel for the throttle and brake pedals (and you do have to work with them even on an oval, especially starting from mid‐pack of a field of cars all about as fast as you are). At times, you almost forget you are wearing anything, and almost want to look down to make sure. That is the comfort part of the simBOOT, and I was initially wondering if wearing them would be easy on the eyes and hard on the feet, but they are extremely comfortable. I even found myself wearing them around the house between stints. I probably wouldn’t wear them to the weekly poker game, but they give any slipper out there a run for the money.

I did a couple more hundred lap races, one at Michigan and, finally, an incredibly tense race at Bristol; never has fifty miles felt like so much like work! Of course, no test is complete without some road‐racing action, and I immediately reached for the GTR2 Ferrari 550 at Anderstorp—in the rain, so I would have extra pedal work. As I thought, the simBOOT did just fine, providing me with confident pedal control beyond what a simple sock provides. All in all, every lap of driving

with the simBOOT was a pleasure. This is not just a trivial luxury: the ideas behind the simBOOT are fully implemented, well thought out, and combine to offer the sim‐racer not only a comfortable ride, but also a performance boost over your unwashed sock.

Oh, about that abuse? Probably not the wisest thing to do with a fifty dollar product, but I did, at times, feel the need to grab the boot at odd angles with both hands and give it a stout stretching in many wrong directions. Not a worry in the slightest, the boots held fine, and I suspect that, when used normally, they will last a hell of a long time. Of course, you could destroy them, just as you could destroy a pair of Nikes, by tying them to a horse and a tree or something, but during normal use, they seem to be bulletproof.

So, they are functional, sturdy, made‐to‐order, and affordable. But what really matters, of course, is that they also look marvelous: Far from resembling any sort of modification to a sock, you look at the sim BOOT and realize that the level of design quality, from an aesthetic point of view, is second to none, and the ‘brand name recognition’ is surely to be attached to this one. A handmade set of sim‐racing boots, now that, my friends, is cool!

When you get the function right, and put it into a great looking package, your next stop is usually the bank. Randall has done himself proud …

161

www.autosimsport.net

Final Thoughts Although, at first, I came to the simBOOT with a bit of skepticism—using something more than the common sock for simulated‐driving duties seemed somehow extravagant—those doubts dissolved within minutes of opening the package. From the first time I put them on to the last lap I drove before taking them off, the sim BOOT s were a pleasure to experience, and made a believer out of me. And why not? I didn’t think twice a few years ago when dropping a bundle on a G25 while a perfectly good DFP sat in the closet, but, you know, once I got some time with the G25, I couldn’t turn back. The DFP, just like my socks, wasn’t any ‘less’ of a product, but they were both very easy to leave behind when I found something better (and faster). I keep the DFP as a backup, and, of course, we all need to wear socks, so I kept those as well, but you can now pencil me in as a simBOOT fan.

Go get your pair today—you won’t regret it. And if you do, you can always use them for your martial arts class!

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

PROS —Provides noticeable improvements to the feel of control over a particular set of pedals —Custom made means just what it means—the ideal fit and finish the user desires, a characteristic often overlooked in the world of footwear. In addition, the ability to customize to a particular driving style and/or pedal set with grip placement is an offer almost too good to pass up —Durable construction using lightweight materials, fit ensures a high level of comfort over long stints —Attractive styling, racing‐theme oriented —Pricing is reasonable

CONS —Due to the handmade nature of construction, this isn’t something you can ring up for delivery in a few hours —The simFit and simPaint portions of the webpage could use a bit more integration

ORDER HERE

162

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

163

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

simBOOTS From SimSox To RedSox & Back

continued

164

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Software REV S u

VOLVO—THE GAME: ELIOT EARLE TRUCK RACING BY RENAULT: BOB SIMMERMAN GRAND PRIX 4—A VISTA REUNION: BOB SIMMERMAN

167 132 178

165

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SIX WHEEL DRIFT! See page 171

166

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW

Volvo The Game

Eliot Earle on SimBin’s freely‐available Volvo game: Now you, too, can be a tweed‐wearing English Professor at a semi‐respected minor college …

ELIOTEARLE

167

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Volvo The Game

continued

INTRODUCTION Volvo have done what BMW did a year or so ago—released their very own free game featuring their latest and greatest, a shiny NEW concept car, and some old buckets that were not‐quite laser‐scanned from the nearest mall. SimBin made the actual game though—just like the BMW one (though, actually, that was the ‘other’ SimBin, but you know what I’m saying). So, as you can guess, it’s pretty much rFactor—I mean GTLR2 Racing Newt, or whatever it is they make these days.

To say the game is uninspiring would be to do an injustice to the lack of passion with which Volvo lovers around the world view their cars. The game is partly what you’d expect, and partly much, much less. But, one should also add that this is a perfect synthesis between form and content: One would be astonished to find glitz on a Volvo product, and SimBin—no doubt aware of this—have created the perfect game that instantly makes you feel what it is that Volvo owners around the world feel on a daily basis: Acute boredom.

168

Still, enough of my wanton opining for now—more of that later. What do you actually get for your $0? The website proudly boasts: Two tracks: Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena in Göteborg, Sweden, and Chayaka, outside Kiev in the Ukraine (no, I’m being serious, actually). Some of the cars, meanwhile, include: the C30, S60, S40, 850, 240 Turbo, and the highlight of the game: the NEW S60 Concept Car in race and regular configurations.

THE MIDDLE BIT And here’s my own list of the features in the game, as you won’t find on the website: What it has: Some Volvos; two tracks I've never heard of; Time‐Trial mode; Race Mode; Online Competition.

What it doesn't have: Any kind of damage modelling or effect on handling; weather; hills; a sane interface.

Obviously, the NEW S60 Concept Car—which comes in standard and race flavours—is going to be the best of the lot. I mean, what would the point be if you released a marketing ploy like this if not to show off how fantastic the concept car is going to be when they get round to making it and sending it forth into the heady world of Touring Car racing?

Volvo, never a group to be bogged down by conventional wisdom, have decided to ensure that the concept version is less tuned than the S40, and is slower, whilst also handling oddly. A concept car allied to a brilliant concept: Brilliant all round then!

Handling oddly, though, is something that rear‐wheel drive old buckets do. The Force‐ Feedback seems to be trying to pull the wheel in two directions at once, making for a very strange and not entirely pleasant experience.

The proper S40 is a dream though. That’s more like what you’d expect from a racing game. It’s fast, it pumps you up, and makes you actually want to attack the track, or a friend in a similar car, with proper anger. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this was the car that they made the game for, and everything else was a bit of an afterthought. An afterthought almost certainly had in the pub after a few shandies (or whatever it is that Volvo owners drink) too many.

The S60 and C30 are basically the same car with slightly different gearing, as far as I could make out.

What really strikes me as odd, though, amidst this ocean of oddness, is that all the cars are front or rear wheel drive. Now, I don’t know if that’s a limitation imposed by the Touring Car Championships they run them in, but I would have expected an AWD model at least: I mean, when I think of Volvo, I think of cars built like tanks that drive off all four wheels at once … well that, and a street in North London where I once lived for a while.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Volvo The Game

continued

I must confess to having developed a bit of a liking for the Chayaka circuit. Perhaps it’s just the sound of it as it rolls off my lips— Chayaka—it’s like an ancient war‐cry from a long‐ forgotten tribe of cannibal‐pygmies, isn’t it? Chayaka! Even though it’s completely flat (as in nuclear‐annihilation flat), Chayaka has some nice fast bits with some tricky corners. I’d very much like to see this track make an appearance in a proper race sim.

The lack of weather and damage, meanwhile, isn't really all that surprising in a racing game. You'd expect more in a current, or next‐generation racing sim, but that’s clearly not what this game is about, which is a pity, really, because it feels as if it’s almost so very nearly there when you’re sitting in the S40 and hurling it round the track. And you so want it to be. I feel that careful driving should be rewarded: someone who doesn’t crash every lap should have more of a car to race with at the end of the race.

169

The graphics and sounds are what you would expect: lovely. The game looks good, and the individual sounds of the cars—with the notable exception of the concept S60— are interestingly different and exceedingly well put together.

But the interface … oh lord, what were they thinking?

In the options screen, sliders don’t. You get an up and down button at each end, and a nice percentage number in the middle, but nothing to grab and drag when you’re not fine‐tuning.

When you are heading off to your game play session of choice—in my case the time‐ trials for this game—you start off with telling it what you want to play, then where you want to play it, then what you want to play it in. Oh, and then who you want to pretend to be. Maybe I'm just used to the rFactor way of doing things, but it seems like a lot of menus you have to click through just to get where you want to go.

There are no car setup options either. You drive what you’re given. I'm not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely … a thing. I know there are some people out there who don’t like to have to bother with setting up their cars for every track they race at— Volvo owners, that is—and with only two to choose from, maybe it’s not important. But I also know that, as there are about as many different ways of getting a car around a track as there are sim‐racers, some of us like to have that little bit of control over how the car handles to make up for our differences.

The amount of advertising in the game is about as heavy handed and constantly in your face as what you get in the cinema when you go and see your average young person's Hollywood blockbuster. I know advertising is the entire point of the game, but really ‐ having to click 5 buttons to get through it all just to leave the game from the main menu is excessive.

CONCLUSION If you’re the kind of person who skips through a review to the end just to read the conclusion, then I say this to you: this is the best racing simulation ever written, and you should go get it now and stop playing everything else.

ANOTHER BIT ON THE END I honestly can’t imagine why Volvo paid SimBin to make this game. However, I am glad they did. The models are great, the S40 would be fine in a proper sim, the tracks are nicely done, and the sounds are splendid. It’s a nice enough game, and I’m sure there’re plenty of Volvo‐loving kids out there who will derive a lot of enjoyment from it.

I can’t give it a score though, as I don't think it’s worthy of being called a racing simulation.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Volvo The Game

continued

VOLVO—THE GAME WHAT IT HAS —Two tracks: Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena in Göteborg, Sweden, and Chayaka, outside Kiev in Ukraine —Volvos: the C30, S60, S40, 850, 240 Turbo, amongst others, and the highlight of the game—the NEW S60 Concept Car in race and regular configurations

WHAT IT DOESN’T HAVE —Tracks I've ever heard of —Any kind of damage modeling, or effects on handling —Weather —Hills —A sane interface —A price: hence why it gets no score …

170

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW

Truck Racing By Renault One ton of steel. One thousand one hundred horsepower. One Bob Simmerman …

BOBSIMMERMAN

171

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Truck Racing By Renault

continued

So It’s About Renault Trucks, Is It?

172

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Truck Racing By Renault

continued

Smooth and precise is the way to go, but you also need a bit of anticipation because these trucks, much like a naval destroyer vessel, for example, take a while to stop. Or turn, forcing you to plan your moves a ways in advance—sort of like chess, but with more broken glass.

We can only speculate as to what Marius Berliet and Louis Renault would have felt about the sport of truck racing, but no doubt they would have been proud that Renault is an important part of it. Rigidly scrutinized by the FIA, and now in its third decade (and enjoying a resurgence of interest after a painful decade in the 1990s), European‐style truck racing is a rough‐and‐tumble sport that hides its technology quite well. But you need only take a glimpse at this video to see these fellas don’t haul like the guy who delivers the Buds to your local: See, you can’t just slap an engine in a giant chassis and hit the track (and anything else that may be in your way) to join in the fun. No, sir, there are apparently rules that must be followed …

The Renault trucks—which are the only trucks you can drive in this sim, though the real series features a dozen or so truck‐makers such as IVECO, Mercedes, and the MAN truck (yes, now shush)—are based on a variant of a ‘…last generation Renault Premium powered by thirteen litres worth of Renault DXi13 engine‐technology,’ according to Renault, and are, in two words, impressive beasts.

Sporting a lucrative Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 5,500Kgs (a mandated FIA minimum!), there is a lot to consider while piloting one of these beasts, and not all of it surrounding the enormous damage that can be done by a rogue driver. Indeed, this may seem like a lot of stones to haul, but keep in mind that this includes the driver as well.

The DXi13 lump pumps out something like 1,110BHP, easily enough to power the trucks to the FIA mandated limit of 160KPH—and not a KPH more. Goodyear provides the contact patches, and Lord only knows how the tyres hold up under racing conditions, but they do, albeit amidst much protest that will sound, to your ears, like squealing and wailing, and look like the smoke machine used in ‘The Fog’ as they strain under the Herculean task of keeping close to six tons on the paved parts of the track.

Truck Racing by Renault Trucks , developed by Game Seed (the Nitro Stunt Racing guys—see our favourable review from last year), and AI-Wave Development, now means that fans of this genre can get a taste of manhandling trucks around something a bit more daunting than a parking lot or loading dock: They run on many of Europe’s most famous trucks such as Zolder, Le Mans, Jarama, Barcelona, and so on, but what we have to play on is a demo that comes with one track. Still, plenty enough to decide whether you have any interest in racing these things …

One thing is for sure, though: As soon as you fire this baby up, you realize who this is all about—Renault. Truck. Racing. From the initial load screen to the gorgeous track fly‐by camera sequence, there are enough Renault logos and branding to outfit two Napoleonic conquests. Sponsor overload aside, the demo offers plenty of features for the serious, and a perfect lack of features should one choose to just hop in and drive. Well, you don’t really drive these behemoths, so much as ‘position’ them and hope the brakes work! The user has

173

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

REVIEW Truck Racing By Renault

continued

a lot of control over the game experience, albeit limited to driving on the single track offering, Les 2 Lacs. Which I think means two lakes, though it could mean something like, ‘holy mother of God how do I stop this thing!’

Force‐Feedback is supported, and if you find yourself the slightest bit off track or in contact with another truck—which is difficult to avoid considering two of these things side‐ by‐side would take up a major international airport runway—the feeling is communicated well, but I found the actual on‐track feeling to be relatively light. Of course I have never driven anything like this so for all I know they have a steering assist‐box the size of a NASA rocket motor. That’s the thing when you have to weigh over 5,500kgs; you can probably stick in air‐conditioning too!

As for the driving—I found it no so difficult as frustrating: hauling this much weight— French or otherwise—no matter how large the engine, is more than a full plate. The trucks are actually surprisingly quick, achieving a limit of 100KPH in the blink of an eye.

It won’t take you long to figure out the secret to driving fast in one of these trucks, and that is to be smooth with steering inputs and precise with your four wheel drifts: Do that, and before long you may find yourself actually having fun. You also might find yourself spinning at the slightest tap from the rear if you are in a corner, or otherwise straight‐line travel compromised. The tyres moan and howl under protest as you motor around the track, and nearly every truck will be billowing smoke around the corners, perfect for those of you who love to slide your ride around.

As I mentioned, smooth and precise is the way to go, but you also need a bit of anticipation because these trucks, much like a naval destroyer vessel, for example, take a while to stop. Or turn, forcing you to plan your moves a ways in advance—sort of like chess, but with more broken glass.

Graphically, there is plenty to like as the trucks are easy on the eye and look even better when racing. Several effects are tossed in such as sparks, dirt, klag, and even bloom, giving Truck Racing by Renault Trucks a professional and attractive appearance.

Fans of the genre can’t go wrong with this demo, stay tuned for more word on the final product.

174

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

175

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

176

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

MODsquad

Grand Prix 4—A Vista Reunion Bob Simmerman reckons Tony and the crew at GP4Italia have created the best F1 sim available for any platform, period (and full stop) … here’s why …

BOBSIMMERMAN

You’re in our hearts and prayers Felipe

177

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

MODsquad Grand Prix 4—A Vista Reunion

continued

Damnit! Off again, and this time there aren’t enough laps left to catch Massa. The weekend got off to such a great start, too: I secured pole … and then was promptly relegated to the back of the grid as the motor let go on the cool down lap. No problem, I thought, my 2006 McLaren has plenty of juice for the rest of the field with the backup lump, and, as I told the press, a good start was not as crucial as staying out of trouble: The rest would come courtesy of

178

my faster car which would scythe its way through the field all the way to a glorious win.

That was the plan. Before the rain came.

The Nürburgring. I love this track. I am a god here. And no‐one will get in the way of my destiny. Not this day. And that is exactly how it panned out—oh yes. I got a hell of a start and made my way from the back row to about fourteenth as we came out of T1. Within ten laps, I’d made

my way into the points and after twenty I found myself third, running lap times about a second per lap quicker than the leader, Massa … but I was running out of time, and needed to get by a clearly vodka’d‐up Räikkönen before I could attack Massa. His one‐time seven second advantage was now down to just under three, and with ten laps to go at a second per lap faster, well, even I could do that math.

This one was mine.

And then came the rain.

At first it was nothing to worry about, just a smattering here and there, mere dots of water on the track and my visor. Soon, however, the surface became greasy, slippery, and with only a handful of laps to run, I didn’t dare dive in for intermediates. Besides, I was still making up ground on Massa, now less than a second ahead, like a fly in my vision, a fly I was about to swat.

I decided to wait for the NGK chicane before I made my move as I knew I could outbrake him there. A late‐race pass was on the cards, and my fans would speak of this day in awed wonder for decades to come: Oh yes, victory was mine. I made my move, braking deep as I approached the chicane and quickly slid by … not only Massa, but the chicane, the track, the marshals, and about half the infield as well.

Damnit!

I got back in shape, but by now the track was soaked, there were only three laps to run, and Massa was gone. I did the best I could to keep the car on the extremely wet track, but on the last lap had another off at Dunlop. Fortunately my lead over fourth was such that I was able to make it back in the right direction for a third place finish. Not the victory I had hoped for, certainly not the one my enormous talent and vast good looks deserved, but then again, it wasn’t the last place finish I’d managed the last time I came face to face with rain. And anyway, as I told the press after the race, if God had intended for Yanks to race in the rain, he wouldn’t have invented NASCAR. So shut up.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

MODsquad Grand Prix 4—A Vista Reunion

continued

This race took place two nights ago on my blazing i7 Vista rig, and it simulated the 2006 Formula One World Championship. Yes, you heard me right, 2006 F1 on the PC. How? Well, first, thanks to Crammond’s ageless Grand Prix 4, and second, thanks to the ‘F1 2006/2007 (beta)’ mod for Grand Prix 4 by the equally ageless and massively talented

179

Tony, and the crew at GP4Italia. Regular readers of this magazine will by now know that Tony is a living legend in the GP4 modding scene, and gentlemen and ladies, he’s done it again: Not that it’s any secret, as the final version of the mod, released in 2007, has nearly 190,000 downloads at the time of this writing.

Yes, you heard right, 190,000. More than mos t of our sims have managed to garner since, well, GP4 itself probably!

Grand Prix 4 I have been out of the Grand Prix 4 loop for quite a while.

With my lab work, writing duties, and work as a researcher on a full‐length feature film of the documentary genre, I simply haven’t had the time: And then, of course, I’ve switched to a home built i7 rig sporting Vista, and I had some lingering doubts in the back of my mind as to how well Grand Prix 4 and Microsoft’s (not so) finest would play together.

When all was said and done, however, I had little to worry about. Not only did GP4 play perfectly, out of the box, but the installation, configuration, and final use of the mod was a walk in the park. Even my wheel setup worked exactly how it always has—for some reason I have always had good luck with wheels and GP4, no idea why, could it be something related to well designed code?

No need to go into an extensive and detailed multi‐ page GP4 install and mod guide; no, this time it is pretty darn easy. Hell, I bet even Alex could pull it off!

Go to this link and do everything it says; that’s pretty much what I did before I found myself at the helm of what I truly consider the best F1 experience I have ever encountered. And on a seven year old product to boot.

Tony, GP4Italia, the ZaZ tools guy, to call them geniuses is to fall short of an adequate description.

These guys work miracles, and what they have done with the (at one time) controversial and difficult to use GP4 is magnificent. Even Vista coughs up! Watch the video, do what it says, and in no time at all you will have your way with not only the 2006 F1 season, but an extensively fleshed out beta of the 2007 season.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

MODsquad Grand Prix 4—A Vista Reunion

continued

Installing the 2006 Track Pack rounds it all out with stunning representations of the, yes you guessed, 2006 season tracks.

A brief examination of the mod specifications reveals that an awful lot of work must have gone on

180

here. GP4 is considered by those who know to be ‘difficult to mod’, but when you look at what is included in this mod, you’d think they just woke up one day and shoved content into the damned mod. And then you see the quality …

We should recall that it was Tony who ably assisted shutt1e on the initial phase of what many consider to be the best mod ever created for rFactor—the ‘F1 ’79’ mod— which began as a GP4 mod. Indeed, we’re in the presence of one of the world’s best modders here, my friends: And he’s keeping the faith with GP4.

The change in look and feel alone, when compared to the out‐of‐the‐box version, makes this mod an instant must‐have if for no other reason than just to see it: Just to see what a well‐made mod should look like. Yes, we’re concerned with how the thing drives—no worries there as the reworked physics and performance specifications are top‐notch and thoroughly fleshed out (if you are driving around in the Super Best Friends car, odds are you won’t win, but it will still be one hell of a good drive as it is, after all, a full blown Formula One car, albeit a bit down on a few bits’n’bobs)—but I just cannot for the life of me get over how it just ... looks.

The track surfaces, meanwhile, in the track pack, are modeled with extraordinary precision; bumps, undulations, dips, elevation changes, and moisture on the track are all clearly felt through the wheel as you drive over them or lock the brakes on them. The car has a great feel to it (whatever that means these days!) and while I always found the original game just fine in the physics department, warts and all, the new physics developed for this mod are substantially improved in terms of ‘feel’, weight transfer, acceleration, and braking: Everything has received dollops of refinement, and what we now have is the definitive F1 simulator, period. I will say it again: F1 sims do not get better than this, no matter the platform. End of story.

One of the original sim’s strengths, of course, was the way in which it represented an actual Formula One weekend; that is, it created a believable atmosphere of the event that went a long way to suspending disbelief and making you forget you are in the basement, screen blazing in the darkness. Things like being able, in a practice session,

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

MODsquad Grand Prix 4—A Vista Reunion

continued

to hit the director camera key, sit back, and watch an ever‐ changing broadcast type of display as the game switches from one car to the next, one camera angle to the next all on its own, with TV overlay graphics to boot, made the immersion of Crammond’s final sim something truly rewarding. Things like being able, during qualifying, to pop‐ up a data screen much like the drop‐down screen on a real F1 car as your vantage point—the screen displays a multitude of items including watching drivers in real time, or checking the timing information before you make your own run—makes GP4 stand‐out amongst today’s sims, at least when it comes to its ‘immersability’.

I’d forgotten, to be honest, what immersion was all about until I fired up GP4 and this mod: Seriously, after five brief minutes, I found myself thinking how amazingly distant out current generation of sims have come from the days when developers actually cared about scene and place …

Like any great mod, the good points of the sim being modded are enhanced, and in the case of the atmospherics of an F1 event, the 2006 mod pushes the bar a few miles higher than the original: And that, you will gather, is like, dude, erm, higher than, like, the stratosphere!

The TV overlay graphics, for example, now closely resemble their real‐life counterparts. In addition, the brilliant AI and best‐ in‐class weather of the original remain as they were—just fine.

Dirt and grime, meanwhile, cover the visor, and the cockpits all feature enhanced detail and picture‐perfect steering wheels, all of them car‐specific.

Of course, since the Car Set Manager (CSM) is being used, customization of the mod by the user is but a few clicks away.

Sporting an integrated GPxPatch utility in the main UI of CSM, tons of things can be changed (such as those overlay graphics) by simply clicking a box and browsing to a different version.

Sounds, physics, performance files, processor affinity, these are just a few of the settings that can be altered in seconds. I must say, the CSM, no doubt mentioned in a previous issue

181

If you have Grand Prix 4, you owe it to yourself to give this mod a try and find out what nigh on 200,000 other fans have already discovered: just simply extraordinary.

Since we don’t yet know what a Codemasters license of Formula One means for the PC crowd—but God we can only imagine—Grand Prix 4, much like Grand Prix Legends, will no doubt remain the greatest achievement for an F1 sim on the PC for a long‐long time to come. In fact, I doubt it will ever be beaten, unless Crammond makes a come‐back, or John Henry buys the license for Dave Kaemmer.

Until then, though, we have Tony and friends. Thanks guys! This really is it!

somewhere, has taken a lot of the hassle of installing a GP4 mod out of the loop.

As an example of this, once you have the CSM installed, installing a mod involves nothing more than selecting the ‘install mod’ button, navigating to the CSM compatible file, and selecting it. That’s pretty much it, no messing around with those pesky .WAD files. Once installed, the mod itself is easily configurable, offering complete control of driver choice, track, type of race, difficulty level, texture resolution, track loading method, steering wheel type, mirrors on or off, visors, Lo2k’s Speedo and Rev Counter on or off, pit boards, LOD selection (select lower for better performance), type of rim, 2D or 3D, and two selections for GP4Tweaker—real‐time editing, and head view movement. In addition, the customization that GPxPatch offers is, as it always has been, extensive, and it has been thoughtfully integrated into the CSM main interface.

That done, I was ready to roll away the hours as Crammond and Tony transported me into my fantasy‐ world where I was, for a few hours, a world‐class Formula One driver chasing the title.

In reality, meanwhile, I was playing a hardcore modern day Formula One sim with great AI, great weather, and some of the best offline racing this side of Grand Prix Legends.

But all of this improvement does come at a price, and those with lower end PCs may need to reduce a few details here and there in order to maintain a Processor Occupancy value that is always below 100 percent, else odd things with timing may begin to crop up. Even with my relatively fast i7/HD4870 rig I was able to really slow things down to the point of nearly slow motion, but by turning off the heat haze and the video walls, things got real snappy again, and this is, with dynamic environment maps on with the frame rate counter set to forty, plenty for a silky smooth GP4 experience. Of course, your mileage may vary, but given the ease of installation provided by the CSM, the odds of a great experience are much improved over the ‘good old days’.

—Over 80 different car versions in total —Over 80 different helmets ‐ many new unreleased versions!

—All 27 race drivers plus testers for all teams —Test driver subset —Almost every pit crew seen in 2006 ‐ NT, Supermen and more —Team specific pit props —Team specific steering wheels —Team specific GPaedia —Full, realistic performance and physics —Comes with high, standard and low resolution to suit all PCs —2006 Track pack with all 18 tracks ‐ many PLUS compatible, and includes: —Indianapolis ‐ previously unreleased (WIP) —Interlagos ‐ previously unreleased (WIP) —2007 PLUS Season Update now available —And like all CSM mods, very user customizable!

More info and support can be found at grandprixX.com and GP4Italia.org.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Grand Prix 4 2006/2007 Mod Specifications

SIMULATING REALITY 5 Column (NO, REALLY!)

th

JONDENTON (this image from the Eiffel rFactor Track mod)

Jon Denton finds sim‐racing replicating the scattered reality of our new world … so is there any hope of our fragmented community finding a common home?

182

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

5th Column

continued

It’s been some time since I last took a considered look at sim‐racing; having done so for this issue, I find that the current state of play would suggest a certain degree of resigned stagnation has taken root in the community.

Looking back a couple of years, we recall a community in a state of poised anticipation as to what would come out of the various software houses beavering away in secrecy on the ‘next big thing’ which was, surely, but a release away … two years on, though, and with precious little on the horizon, I think the best place to begin this look at our sim‐ world would be by asking: Has ‘it’ arrived?

Some would say yes. They would be the large crowd who are very much of the opinion that Dave Kaemmer’s rebirth into the arena with iRacing has been every bit the perfection they had long awaited and sought. And yet … when we look at our ‘community’ (is that term even valid anymore in sim‐racing?) it’s self‐evident (and perhaps regrettable) that is has broken down into a plethora of different sites and sims that attract pretty‐much only their fondest supporters (a posh way of saying ‘fanboys’). The simple fact is that many have now settled in, decided that nirvana does not lurk just on the other side of the next favoured developer’s release, and that either they need to sell their G25s or make the best of what they have. And so off everyone has scurried, chosen their sim of choice and, well, got on with some racing.

This is a refreshing change after the many years of conjecture and curiosity that took place in the post‐GPL era.

It’s great that people are out there on‐track instead of whining on forums, and it’s also great that much more forum whining these days is based around people getting out on the track. What is notable, however, is that there seems to be a less real, solid community.

When GPL was all there was, people were together, as one. When we were waiting for the next big thing, people were together, as one. Now we seem to have a series of disparate communities with no solidity or common aim.

183

Whilst we all want to go racing, it seems that the only interaction between the various communities is based around stone throwing … glass ceilings (or is it walls). …

Odd, indeed, but hardly surprising: After all, there was once a time when an artist could sell fifty million albums and become the ‘King of Pop’: Do we even have a ‘top of the pops’ chart nowadays? If we do, I’d bet the chart topper probably has about a two percent slice of the big pie, and that reality, alas, is reflected also in our community.

The fragmented reality of our world–and our community–is, however, not a reason for us not to wonder if we (or perhaps our sims) are somehow missing something. That is, are we fragmented because of the new reality which we can gauge in all sectors of our wired lives, or is this fragmentation, rather, because we just don’t have an artist capable of unifying us, a sim capable of bringing us together as GPL once did? When we look at our sim‐of‐ choice, how many of us wish to see features added, or pine for a feature from another sim. Why isn’t there a sim that has it all? Why, while we’re at it, isn’t there a sim that has the features that have been seen in sims of the past?

Consider: GTR2 had live track technology, and yet SimBin’s latest sims don’t have it … GP4 had rain, so did GTR2, but rFactor, on whose engine all of SimBin’s games were built, doesn’t. netKar Pro has grinding gears, and ‘live’ cockpits, and iRacing doesn’t … GPL had pitboards, NASCAR 2003 had dynamic (dry) weather, but iRacing has neither …

The question, then, is why? Why have developers either abandoned their own ‘simulated’ realities seen in their previous sims, or failed to implement those of other developers? The answer is not to be found, as one would instinctively think, in the heads of our developers, but in the heart and soul of the community.

It comes down to the dynamic–the people–and in order to understand this, we need to take a brief look at our community and three distinct species that live in it: the racer, the engineer, and the sim‐nut.

But you see, in our simulated reality, developers need to concern themselves with more than, well, simulating reality. They need to simulate reality in such a way as to shift products off shelves, and the lesson they have all learnt is that, while sim‐racers might claim they want ‘ultimate realism’, what they (or more accurately the majority) really want is something that looks real, feels real, but, ultimately, compromises reality for the sake of ‘fun’. Because the real‐racer does it for, erm, real, and we do it for fun … and what fun is there–for the majority of sim‐racers–in having to watch a group of mechanics figure out why an engine isn’t firing an hour into a practice session?

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

5th Column

continued

The Three States Of Being Sim‐nuts want detail. They want to revel in the minutia of how perfect the sim is of real‐life, they want to look adoringly at their sim‐car from the outside before they even step into it, they want VIN numbers so that the car is ‘theirs’, and they want to be able to open the bonnet and fiddle with virtual HT Leads to see whether their virtual spark plugs are due for replacement. You will find the sim‐ nut advocating the blessings of nKPro …

The engineer, meanwhile, likes to tinker with the setup, or modify the car to make it as perfect to drive as possible.

They usually want the simulation to be as real as possible for immersion sake, but as long as the vehicle dynamics and tyre model are good enough, they are in heaven. They often spend hours in private sessions working on setups that may never get raced, or they will give their setup to a racer who will effortlessly go a second faster than they could with it.

You will find the engineer to have a credit‐card with a regular subscription to iRacing.com.

The racer just wants to race. To go head‐to‐head with whomever will have it, and maybe have a forum‐based hissy fit afterwards if there was a (virtual) incident. The racer cares about nothing but tyre model, steering feel, and laptimes, usually setting the fastest one possible. If ‘their’ beloved car had a VIN, it would now probably be number 1,230,456 because of the amount of times it had hit a wall at massive speed during practice sessions, sometimes private, usually with others. The racer you will find scattered throughout the community, and often you will find the racer pop‐up in numerous sims, from Live For Speed to rFactor, to iRacing. Rarely, however, will you find him in nKPro …

All sim‐racers, I think it fair to say, fall into one of the above categories or split across a couple: Rarely though will you find a sim‐racer who spreads his wings in all three camps. Personally, I will don a differing cap depending on how I feel: some days I will be a racer, and other days an

184

engineer or a sim‐nut, but on the whole, I think I can confess to being mostly the sim‐engineer. I want realism from the simulation; I want to have to treat the car right, and to be punished for not doing so–there is, after all, nothing wrong with being taught good manners. And we should recall that, in the beginning, simulators were built to prepare drivers/pilots/sea captains for the real thing–not to just provide an entertaining aside.

Which leads us to ask …

Why Should Something Calling Itself A Simulator Make Concessions?

Parts of netKar Pro–things like the modelling of the electrical system and engine temperature build‐up and heat soak, the tightness of the engine when you pull out of the pits (as things get up to temperature, the motor starts running free and revving easier), the fact that, if you stall too many times without getting some charge back into the battery through the alternator, you'll have a flat battery and go nowhere–these features are honey for the sim‐nut.

I am not sure if it’s just for nKPro’s ‘Full Mode’, but when beta‐testing early builds, Alex (our erstwhile ‘editor’) was regularly damaging his engine by going too hard straight out of the box: These are things that help drivers learn how it really is, and would genuinely help anyone thinking of actually racing a single‐seater to get into good habits and procedures. In rFactor (most mods and default), and iRacing, meanwhile, you cannot even stall the car, despite the fact that keeping the motor running in a spin is a crucial skill for racing drivers in real life. So how can there be such an enormous gulf between three products, all of which self‐ describe themselves as ‘simulators’?

The problem here is that not everyone agrees with me that sim‐racing should be a wholly accurate representation of real racing–I’ve had enough forum arguments about it to know that much! Mainly ‘racers’ will take issue with anyone who would claim, ‘Simulators ought to simulate

everything!’, because they just want to get out there and race, and not have to think. In their world–as opposed to the real‐world–the fastest driver always wins. But in the real‐ world, the fastest driver must also understand how not to lug an engine, how not to downshift from sixth into second, revving the engine to 45 million RPM: He must learn how to manage the brakes, how to manage brake fade, how to read the track as it changes its grip‐level, how to take advantage of a yellow‐flag, how to manage a softening clutch, how to ease an overheating engine, how not to break a crankshaft, how not to strip gears, how to manage the life‐cycle of a set of slicks … in short, winning a race, in our simulated world, is pretty much (in all our sims) simply finding a really fast (oversteering setup) and driving the bejesus out of it. In real‐life, on the other hand, such a philosophy would see the driver either dead, fired, or never finishing a race.

But you see, in our simulated reality, developers need to concern themselves with more than, well, simulating reality. They need to simulate reality in such a way as to shift products off shelves, and the lesson they have all learnt is that, while sim‐racers might claim they want ‘ultimate realism’, what they (or more accurately the majority) really want is something that looks real, feels real, but, ultimately, compromises reality for the sake of ‘fun’.

Because the real‐racer does it for, erm, real, and we do it for fun … and what fun is there–for the majority of sim‐racers– in having to watch a group of mechanics figure out why an engine isn’t firing an hour into a practice session?

In the end, nKPro was an interesting experiment, and one that I suspect iRacing have taken a long and hard look at: What it did was focus on the sim‐engineer and the sim‐ nut, and not so much on the sim‐racer. And as a commercial product, it failed: It sold poorly, and while many will try and spin this by claiming that, if it worked, if it was more user‐ friendly, etcetera, it would have been far more successful, I think the truth is–the majority of sim‐racers do not want

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

5th Column

continued

hardcore realism. They want, rather, the illusion of hardcore realism. They want to claim to be driving the most hardcore simulator (because it says so, look, right there on the box), but what they actually want is a souped‐up Gran Turismo.

The real market for hardcore sim‐nuts is small, a fact, I suspect, that iRacing are slowly coming to realise as their sales struggle to head north of 10,000. iRacing, indeed, have not made a secret of their belief that sim‐racers don’t want to be weighed down with all that comes with real‐life motor‐racing, and in some ways they are right. Being in a virtual world, we can indeed make choices as to which parts of motor‐racing we want to include in our version of it. iRacing have looked at what they perceive matters–modelling tracks perfectly, and providing superb steering feel via a strong tyre model–and focussed all their attention on these key elements which are at the core of what makes for an amazing sim experience.

At the same time, the hardcore–the sim‐nut and the sim‐engineer who cling on to some desperate desire for a genuine experience–will feel rightly cheated when they are beaten by somebody doing things that, in a real car, you just can’t do. Put another way, a driver with real‐life experience suffers a handicap in sim‐racing–and yes, even in iRacing–and this, ultimately, casts a negative verdict on our current generation of simulators (Of course, Dale Earnhardt Jnr is largely going out of his way to disprove this).

Those commercial considerations make iRacing less palatable to the hardcore than netKar Pro which remains, to this day, the choice for the hardcore. The work Jaap Wagenvoort has done with his ‘GPChampionship’ is fantastic, and there is a healthy amount of talented racers regularly racing netKar Pro and enjoying the many things this sim has to offer, all based around that site which provides all the stats and media coverage you could need, along with a race highlights on YouTube.

185

For those with patience, endeavour, and a high‐tolerance for frustration, rFactor remains a great modding platform, but one gets the sense that, at this stage of its development, rFactor has evolved into a sim for people who like to have a lovely fettle under the bonnet. As a racing sim, its evolution has stalled, and it is now disparate and fragmented; there is too much choice, and so the only people that get to really enjoy it are people that have setup their own clubs or leagues to race it with. If you are unable to commit to any such thing, rFactor promises nothing much other than loneliness and sadness. ‘

If Ball Racing Developments (who–depending on who you talk to–either own nKPro, or have a stake in it, or, well, have a stake in nKPro’s designer Stefano Casillo {who– depending on who you speak to–either still works for BRD, or has now distanced himself from that company}) were to invest some dollars in hosting a few servers and knocking up a fancy website, they could easily have a competitor to iRacing on their hands. Of course, they’d need to work on that sim’s usability issues since, not only is the process of getting up‐and‐running lacking the necessary ergonomics, but there are simply not enough people racing this sim.

Anyone joining ‘GPChampionship’–and if you want to race nKPro, you don’t really have many choices (although ‘Race 2 Play’ does now run the sim)–is faced with a daunting challenge, as some of the quickest sim‐racers in the entire world regularly go head‐to‐head in this championship.

These drivers are not only extremely talented, but have keen engineering prowess: stepping into sim‐racing at this level is indeed like stepping into an elevated series in real‐ life, and perfectly captures what real drivers must sense when they take the leap, say, from F3 to F1. Daunting, challenging, and, well, real! netKar Pro’s track conversions, by Jaap Wagenvoort, are also splendid, and the GP4 conversions pretty accurate. The work done to recreate the bumps and cambers means that the converted tracks are the best outside of iRacing.

Monaco, in fact, is a delight. It’s just as well, given the practice laps any potential contender will need to undertake in order not to become the Al Pease of sim‐racing (or would that be Alex Yoong?).

Having said that, the tracks in iRacing are on a level above everything and anything else, and they are what always brings me back to Kaemmer’s sim: That, and the steering feel: those two items alone make the sim worth running, but I do miss just being able to create an open practice session and having a bit of a non‐competitive dice with my mates. The addition of practice sessions has

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

5th Column

continued

helped, but it’s still not the same. There is something soulless about racing against strangers day in and day out, something unlike what you would find in real‐life where, whether you’re a pro in a super‐fancy series racing against the world’s best or just a clubman, you land up racing against the same lot most of the time, enabling you to gain an understanding and, indeed, a respect (or loathing) for your racing mates.

Where iRacing have done a great job, though, is in its functionality: There is not much in the way of screwing around with controllers and what not before you’re out on track, and all updates are simply one click of the mouse away. The controller setup, meanwhile, is the work of a few seconds, and it makes other sims look positively dated by comparison: while the likes of rFactor could have you fiddling with text files for weeks before you get the feel (and don’t get me started on the vagaries of Real Feel!) just right–that is, before you realise that it varies from mod‐to‐ mod!–iRacing is as simple as a console, and takes the whole plug‐and‐play mantra quite literally.

That said, many Europeans are still not enamoured to the notable American‐bias in both cars and tracks offered by iRacing. This has left a void in the market that an enterprising sim‐developer could leap into. Debatably, a solid version of netKar Pro with a server farm and a licence system might bring suggestions of copycat, but could really capture the hardcore European sim‐racer. That is, unless iRacing (who have announced a fistful of laser‐scanned Euro tracks {Brands Hatch and Zandvoort amongst them}, and, soon, will be releasing their Formula One Lotus) get there before them.

The European hardcore market is an odd one: This is the market that made GPL their sim of choice, before–in the wake of GPL’s slow decline–fiddling with NASCAR 2003, nKPro, and the superb ‘RBR‐Online’ where Paulo Ghibaudo and chums have created a great online service and community around what remains–in the opinion of many,

186

and one that I share–the most difficult sim in the world to master. Richard Burns Rally suffered–like GPL, and nKPro– commercial annihilation back in 2004, and yet still it remains the one, the only, the most authentic rallying sim ever developed. The advent of ‘RBR‐Online’ many years ago gave the rally‐keen a community in which to race against the world’s best. ‘RBR‐Online’, indeed, remains the Home of the World Internet Rally Championship.

Of course, like its real world cousin, rallying remains the forgotten motor‐sport, and its tight band of loyal followers make it what it is, a close‐knit community where fun outweighs vitriol. And yes, the lack of wheel‐to‐wheel racing certainly removes much chance for genuine conflict … genuine conflict that lives, in all its splendid glory, in the ever‐bizarre world of rFactor.

Labelled the ‘Wikipedia of sims’ by some, rFactor remains an elusive beast, and frankly, as a community, we ought to be ashamed of the state of this brilliant sim.

Anyone coming to rFactor as a freshman will be met with a Hiroshima‐sized post‐nuclear holocaust of chaos: Before even turning a wheel, the freshman will be faced with mega‐downloads, countless hours of ‘catching‐up’ and following dead leads from one patch to the next update to the next add‐on plug‐in … and that’s just to get the damn thing running!

For those with patience, endeavour, and a high‐ tolerance for frustration, rFactor remains a great modding platform, but one gets the sense that, at this stage of its development, rFactor has evolved into a sim for people who like to have a lovely fettle under the bonnet. As a racing sim, its evolution has stalled, and it is now disparate and fragmented; there is too much choice, and so the only people that get to really enjoy it are people that have setup their own clubs or leagues to race it with. If you are unable to commit to any such thing, rFactor promises nothing much other than loneliness and sadness. ‘Race2Play’ has stuck their thumb into this notable void, and provides yet

another portal for a sim‐racer to have their racing statistics logged, an idea ‘FILSCA’ had a decade ago, and this has helped sustain rFactor … but really, one hopes ISI have learned some lessons here and will apply them to rFactor 2, and by this I mean a little more direct intervention in what is produced by the modders, and perhaps a way in which modders can sell and distribute their products via a sanctioned site perhaps even run by ISI themselves (think iPhone and how they distribute their applications–ISI could do precisely the same thing, and charge a percentage while modders could even make a few cents on the side).

What rFactor has spawned (or perhaps, more accurately, the ISI‐engine that powers rFactor) is a series of legitimate children in the form of racing series‐specific commercial products (mostly by SimBin). They each have something to offer but–when you really dig into their DNA, they are nothing more than excellent rFactor mods. This inevitably leads to people converting and stealing them and thereby leaving their commercial designs in tatters. This brings them into what we can call an ‘ISI sim’ family of products, a family that always has us wondering where the community is. Unlike ‘GPChampionship’ (nKPro), ‘iRacing.com’, ‘RBR‐ Online’, or ‘LFSWorld’ (Live For Speed), there is no centralised portal for ISI sims; it's all over the shop, and will probably stay that way when rFactor2 comes along and gives us a whole new Scalextric set to play with (unless, as I noted, ISI actually get more involved in what happens to their product after release).

That brief mention of ‘LFSWorld’ is about as involved as it gets for me since my last visit to the forums on that site ended with me being chased away by the locals bearing flaming torches. It’s nice, you know, to have a close community, but when it is so close that foreigners are lynched and strung up by the nearest thread, perhaps an injection of new blood may have become necessary.

Ultimately, LFS has not changed dramatically in a long time, and this seems to be the way the incumbents like it: In

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

5th Column

continued

a way, it reminds me of one of those old coal‐towns up north, where everyone sits around waiting for something to happen, and while they wait, they get their kicks by pounding the crap out of any foreigners who happen to take a wrong turn.

Dave Kaemmer and his merry band at iRacing have, I think we can say with some certainty, taken a few tips from ‘LFSWorld’, but with the difference that their sim changes, and this is a Godsend. Whilst it may not always move in the direction that I would want it to, it does at least move, which is more than can be said of many of the aforementioned sims. netKar Pro took over a year to put out a version upgrade that fixed fundamental bugs, and fancy screenshots for V1.1 are not fooling anyone that this suggests any kind of imminent release (by all means prove me wrong Stefano!).

Sitting, then, on top of the mountain with the sim‐racing world spread‐open below us, we can say that, nearest to us, up here in the soft cool breeze of a perfect simulated‐world, Dave Kaemmer’s iRacing is as close as we have to the ‘perfect’ sim.

But does That Mean It Is, So To Speak, Great?

Not quite. As mentioned earlier, there have been some compromises in design and development, and the atmosphere is really noticeable in its invisibility (so to speak!). The magnificent tracks are let down by their clinical feel. It’s great to feel every crease, bump or undulation through the steering, but we lose immersion because the tracks feel as if they’re hermetically sealed from the universe in a tiny bubble. Nothing moves; there is no exterior sound, no signs of any activity or any movement whatsoever–how about some birds, or a marmot? Other sims? Well, it’s relatively simple, but in rFactor the fact that the light maps from the ‘sun’ and you can change the time of day means that shadows move across the track and, over a long session, this makes the place feel much more natural. Additions such as rubbering‐in and marbles are probably a way off, if we want them done properly.

One is left to wonder why iRacing does not feature tear‐offs and dirt on visors, clickable cockpits, or pit boards, and

187

numerous other features from other sims (some of them Kaemmer’s own) that add atmosphere to the environment.

And the argument that runs–iRacing is a simulator, it doesn’t need any gimmicks or ‘game’ elements is, of course, contradicted by the compromises they have already made in regards the sim’s ‘playability’ for the racer.

Which brings me to weather, the holy grail of racing sims, and the feature everyone wants until they have to race in it.

Rain may be such, but we’ve heard from a few developers that an accurate wet track surface, with puddles and differing levels of grip from metre to metre, is some way off. The simplistic approach made by ISI sims is fun, but not quite there, leaving Crammond’s sims as arguably still the best out there when it comes to changing weather conditions.

But if we skip past rain, what about temperature, and wind?

In real life these are two elements change the behaviour of the car on a track a great deal. And a setup that works one day might not the next, because a four‐to‐five degree change in ambient temperature may, and indeed usually does, cause a big change in track temperature, or a headwind could exacerbate drag levels. If the sun is blazing the track temp’ will be higher, if it’s cloudy it will be much lower relative to the air temperature, and these things make a difference to both the behaviour of the tyre but also the performance of the engine, not to mention tyre management and brake temperature management. iRacing have intimated that to dynamically change temperature and thus car performance across sessions would be seen as ‘not fair’ in light of the service structure–this strikes me as yet another instance of the ‘game’ overruling the ‘simulator’ which is fair enough since compromises must be made, but one ought also to bear in mind what such compromises do to the claim of being a ‘motor‐sports simulator’ since motor‐sport is fundamentally not fair. This, I would suggest, should be the reply to any whining bitch (customer) that says, ‘My setup just didn’t work in this session because the track was eleven degrees colder.’ Tough, it happens, get over it and prepare for the next race. It might

even encourage people not to spend time building the ultimate setup but rather working to a good general setup and doing final adjustments on the day. I don’t think that F1 teams, after testing at Silverstone in the winter, come to the race in June with the same setup and simply expect the thing to be dialled in … so why should we assume the same static world?

Of course, one good thing about iRacing in this respect is the constant updates that the sim gets: That–unlike their simulated world–is about as far from static as you can get. At present these tend to still be focussed on pushing the tyre and vehicle dynamics model forward, but their resources mean that these updates genuinely happen. Compare this to RBR, which has basically died commercially, and nKPro, which has become Stefano’s bedroom project, and you at least have some faith that ‘if it isn’t in there now, it may well be soon’.

This, for me, is why iRacing does steal the crown of being the best piece of kit out there; there is resource, there is passion, and there is something behind the sim that reminds you that, even if it doesn’t do everything you want it to right now, there is no cause to believe that it won’t in the future.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

The magnificent tracks are let down by their clinical feel. It’s great to feel every crease, bump or undulation through the steering, but we lose immersion because the tracks feel as if they’re hermetically sealed from the universe in a tiny bubble …

5th Column

continued

This inevitably leads to people converting and stealing them and thereby leaving their commercial designs in tatters. This brings them into what we can call an ‘ISI sim’ family of products, a family that always has us wondering where the community is. Unlike ‘GPChampionship’ (nKPro), ‘iRacing.com’, ‘RBR‐Online’, or ‘LFSWorld’ (Live For Speed), there is no centralised portal for ISI sims; it's all over the shop, and will probably stay that way when rFactor2 comes along and gives us a whole new Scalextric set to play with (unless, as I noted, ISI actually get more involved in what happens to their product after release).

188

The True Cost Of Pace The last iRacing update–they are released every four months, to coincide with the end of the officially‐ sanctioned ‘seasons’–generated quite a fuss on the iRacing forum. So much so that Dave and co. arranged a hastily convened sit‐down with hundreds of their subscribers to discuss the direction of their development of the sim. It seems that the locals had become restless: What they wanted was physics updates, and what they got was more content. This, I think, demonstrates an interesting new phenomenon in our community: The ability for paying subscribers to force the developers to take a certain direction in the development of the sim, and while it is true that iRacing are undoubtedly the biggest budgeted development‐team we have ever seen in this genre, it is also true that they cannot do all things at once. Dave Kaemmer is working on the Lotus, updating the tyre model, ironing out the creases to the suspension model of the cars, or he’s working on the Corvette, the Nationwide car, the drivetrain, and dozens of other bits and pieces such as weather, aero’, and whatever else; the idea that he and his team can work on all elements of the sim at the same time is, of course, fanciful to say the least.

This means that the progress of the sim is dependent, to a certain extent, on the wishes of those who have his ear: And since the majority are, as we have discussed, the racers in our community, I think it is perhaps an idea for the smaller–and less vocal minority–to speak up a bit about what they want; there are, I have no doubt, many sim‐nuts and sim‐engineers in the service who are aching for more ‘realism’, but their voices are drowned out, as always, by a majority …

The Happy Family This all leads me back to the question of community, and what could bring us together. Would, I wonder, the ‘killer sim’–the sim that pleased the racer, the sim‐nut, and the sim‐engineer–really make us all a happy family again?

What would this killer sim look like? I would venture to say–pretty much what we have now, except that now the elements we all crave are scattered about amongst all the sims. As it stands, most of the sims lack features that were part of sims made nearly ten years ago and certainly, when it comes to immersion, pretty much everything lags behind GP4, GPL and, N2003. AI has almost disappeared, and where it does still live on, it is a shadow of its former self; weather is always on the back burner, and while some sims flounder for an online identity, others get far too wrapped up in it.

We’ve seen huge improvements in tyre models, vehicle dynamics, and mechanical component simulation, as well as laser‐scanning of circuits and dynamic light and sound modelling. But we’re left with soulless environments where we race faceless opponents that differ from day to day. We practice on our own and sometimes spend more time finding the right version of the right mod than we do racing it. …

In 2001, I was mainly racing GP4 and GPL offline. I would pop online with GPL from time to time, but a lot of my time was spent trying to beat that cursed Jim Clark. It became a mission, one I never succeeded in. To this day my best result offline in GPL is second, to Jimmy. This, oddly, made me revere the man more than ever … it’s odd, thinking about that, because I can honestly say that I was having more fun with my sim‐ racing then than I am now.

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SEPTEMBER IS SHAPING UP TO BE ONE OF THOSE MONTHS FOR SIM‐RACING ON THE CONSOLE AND THE PC. LOOK OUT FOR SUPERCAR CHALLENGE, AND IAN BELL’S FIRST SIM SINCE GTR2, NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT. ON THE PC‐ SIDE, 2PEZ RETURN WITH THEIR TOP RACE SIM. WE’LL HAVE ALL THE REVIEWS IN OUR NEXT ISSUE …

189

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Keep The Dream

GPLEGACY enters its fourth year with their A1GP Mexico License and sim still in development … and the Mexican round of A1GP in disarray …

GPLEGACY

SERGIOBUSTAMANTE

SERGIO IS AWAY …

190

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

The Dent Vodka Diaries

continued

Vodka Diaries

The Dent

Jon Denton on iRacing’s jolly good show …

JONDENTON

191

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

The Dent Vodka Diaries

continued

It was with some joy that I was greeted with the news that iRacing will be laser‐scanning both Oulton Park and Brands Hatch for their simulator; it brought yet more cheer to see Zandvoort added to this list.

It signals, to me, and I hope to us all, that iRacing is coming to Europe, and this is good news. Why? Well, whilst the U.S.‐centric approach thus far is understandable, it has presented the service with a surfeit of oval tracks and heavy, oval‐based stock cars. I am sure this is a something that gets some of the North American sim‐racers develope sweaty palms, but finding people that know anything about American motor‐sports, even among enthusiasts, is tough going in the UK, and even tougher on the mainland.

Quite why this is, is not something I want to get into right now, but there is a simple fact here and that is that Europe is a huge untapped market for iRacing, and the potential is phenomenal.

Starting with just Brands and Oulton, we can assume there is a partnership with Jonathan Palmer and Motorsport Vision, and this suggests the potential for lush, laser‐ scanned versions of Snetterton, Bedford Autodrome and the wonderful Cadwell Park could be in the pipeline.

Lest it be lost on us, this company also runs many successful race series such as the Lotus On Track Elise Trophy, The GT cup, the Production BMW championship, the SPEED championship, Formula Palmer Audi, and the newly formed Formula 2 championship. With associated strong links to WTCC and other European race tracks, it doesn’t take a genius to see that things could start looking very good for the European road racing fan within the iRacing network.

Some people might have also noted that this month witnesses the arrival of the first Formula One car into iRacing’s catalogue. The iconic Lotus 79 may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly is a very, very quick car, and should appeal to anyone in iRacing that has suggested that the road racers in the service are too slow. Of course, personally, the idea of launching a Formula Mazda into turn two at Summit Point in real‐life strikes me as something I’d have to work hard to convince my brain to do, but I guess peoples’ bravery gets higher when they can’t hurt themselves—such bravado!

Where the Lotus 79 shows promise is the potential that iRacing have signed up a deal with Classic Team Lotus, the company that maintains and race‐prepares the myriad classic Lotus race cars that span the globe. Could this mean a future where we see such delights as a Lotus 72? Senna’s turbo powered 99T? Lotus’ last F1 car, the 109? A Lotus 49, anyone? Or maybe some classic racing with Lotus Elans, or Elites?

The mind boggles. With deals such as this signed up, as well as deals with Panoz, , and Chevrolet among others, it is hard not to see that in the coming years iRacing could become

192

a one‐stop shop for anyone’s sim‐racing desires. Already it has an established oval stock car ladder, and the sports car ladder is being well served by the Ford Spec Racer, Radical, Riley chain (albeit with some enforced single‐seater racing in the middle). What we need now is a solid single‐seater path.

As a single‐seater driver, I have focussed on this area of iRacing, and have subsequently been stuck in the Formula Mazda for some time. With no real desire to drive the Radical, and not a huge amount of interest in the Riley above it, I have found my hands tied with a class C single‐seater. No great loss, I think the Star Mazda is a great car to drive, and can provide a very solid grounding in advanced setup for aero single‐seaters. Such grounding can only work in anyone’s favour for future additional of faster single‐seaters.

Talking of which, it came to my attention that the upcoming Lotus 79 is a Class B car; this implies, to me, that there will one day follow a Class A single‐seater that is, indeed, quicker or more tricky to drive than the 79. The question is, is there such a thing?

Most F1 drivers regard the ground‐effect cars as the trickiest out there, and while the pace of the 79 could be beaten by any post 1979 F1 car, will the challenge be as high?

Looking to other single‐seaters, we hear rumours of a Panoz DP01, or even a Dallara IR4, but would these cars be any faster than the 79? They may push out more horsepower, but they are much heavier vehicles, and they don’t generate anything like the downforce (let alone aero efficiency) of the 79. Having said that, tyre technology is considerably more advanced since 1979, and this could bridge the gap; either way, a laptime comparison would be very interesting indeed.

The way things seem to be going with iRacing’s service is that the problems or questions raised by the community are being addressed one‐by‐one, and for European racers the question mark concerning tracks and cars from our part of the world is finally being addressed, jolly good show!

IF YOU’RE READING THIS SO ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS YOU CAN BE HERE FOR LESS THAN YOU THINK CONTACT LOU MAGYAR

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

193

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Magnus Opus

Feeling The Heat ...

Magnus Tellbom on the inbreeding at LFS, and the return of RSC …

MAGNUSTELLBOM

194

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Magnus Opus Feeling The Heat ...

continued

Live For Speed made it debut on Race2Play: And was quickly killed by the LFS community …

And We’re Back As is RSC … did you notice?

And we’re back ... Three‐and‐a‐half words (or is that two‐and‐a‐half?) that have been used by many over the years, and mostly by people whose absence was a wonderful blessing: Most recently, we heard it from the staff at RaceSimCentral.

Yes, sim‐racing’s WWF‐style forum is back, and it seems stable enough even if I sometimes get a message that the server is a little busy. Question is, for how long? They obviously cope with a massive number of visitors and readers every day, and the strain on the server must me huge, right? I mean, well over 2,000 visitors trying to read the forum at the same time is probably around the figures of a well‐placed ‘distributed denial of service’ attack of the kind that script‐kiddies set up when they’re angry at, well whatever teenagers get enraged by nowadays.

But ... That many people are not there all the time, and I suspect that the usual number of people browsing the forum is around 300 to 500, and only peak during major releases, or when a site announces a comeback after six month of downtime. And let’s say that 500 people are at the site at once ... How much load does that put on the server? $5,000 a year? I don’t pretend to know much about this stuff, but that’s a fifth of my annual income, and it sounds rather steep to me …

RSC are back, but they returned to a quickly‐changing world, with sim‐racers having— during RSC’s downtime—found new places to pull up their virtual chairs. RaceDepartment is up and running, and is doing much the same job as RSC, only they offer more: Up‐to‐date frontpage news, on‐site downloads for all major sims, live video feed of their on‐site leagues, and other interesting features. And for this they ask you, the users, to team up and donate €400 per month. That's €4,800 per year, and when I go to my trusty exchange site, I find that this adds up to $6,718 per year. That’s a whopping $1,700 more than RSC. Okay, so I did state that they offer much more than RSC, but still, we probably should be asking, what do they offer for this?

I mean, there are alternatives to hosting everything on your own site: People use RapidShare, ImageShack, and YouTube daily, and no one will think less of you if you spare yourself the strain on your server by posting a link that points towards a download site, rather than host it on‐site. No one thinks an embedded YouTube clip is bad or strange, you do not have to host the .avi yourself ... see where I’m going with this?

What I’m saying here is that I think both RSC and RD offer excellent stuff, but not good enough to warrant that kind of money. I wonder if the same kind of community couldn’t be achieved with the use of ProBoards (free), YouTube (free), RapidShare (free), or ImageShack (free) together with a backup site for some minor stuff. Personally I would suggest ONE.com that gives you up to 25Gb storage space and free traffic for less than €4.50 per month.

195

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Magnus Opus Feeling The Heat ...

continued

The latest update for Turismo Carretera contains a whole heap of goodies along with the 2009 cars: several track updates, including removal of the chicane at Balcarce, along with a never before seen ProCar 4000 series, and rFm changes to suit the 2009 rules …

The Shame Of Live For Speed’s Fanboys Race2Play, this past season, gave us support for two more sims, and I wrote about it in the last issue of AutoSimSport (Volume 5, Issue 1). LFS and nKPro became official sims to the site, and I was in heaven. Finally I was able to participate in trouble free (read no wrecking) races on fast servers with live marshals keeping everyone in line. Things were looking up.

But ... and here’s a kicker for you, what do you think happened when this was announced (by myself actually) on the official LFS forum? Joy? Good wishes? Community members coming like lemmings saying, ‘Finally, we can race LFS like it’s supposed to be raced’, and perhaps attract new and fresh blood?

If that’s what you think, then you’re a sim‐racing rookie, since we all know this community exhibits two major characteristics: Tight‐fists and whining (generally alongside each other, come to think of it!)

The vast majority of those who posted came out flaming me, Race2Play, and everyone else involved. ‘We don’t need no pesky R2P to admin’ our races,’ they cried. ‘There are tons of sites that offer better racing, and I don’t want to pay to race!’

All of which brought an untimely end to the TouringCar series on R2P, and that cancellation (due to too few runners) was followed by a similar fate to the GTR series after only two races.

All of which leaves me with nothing to say except a big thumbs‐up and thank‐you: After all, it is surely a positive outcome for the fanboys who want nothing to do with the outside world, and happily exist in their insular universe where LFS shall never—never!—mix with the other major players on the scene since, well, fresh faces and more sold licenses is, of course, totally the wrong thing for LFS’s future.

And the absolutely worst part of it, of course, is that the fanboys completely missed the point: Paying is optional (although clearly whining isn’t!). What they don’t realize is that, that like it or not, R2P is the closest thing we have to a real‐life racing organization with proper rules, real marshals, stable environment, and a working, functional structure (iRacing aside). Any sim that ends up at Race2Play should make the developers proud, and the community happy. But no, not the LFS fan‐boys, oh no, no, no … See, they are convinced of their own ‘special destiny’, you see, convinced that LFS doesn’t need any fresh injection ... oh no, these fanboys would be happiest if everyone simply ceased playing LFS altogether and left it all for them (and for them, of course, the developers will keep working on new versions, don’t you just know it) …

For those who would like to read up on how the LFS community greeted Race2Play, I have included the links below. The first one is from back in 2006: Notice how Tim McArthur is jumped on and flamed before he even makes a post (his first ever) in that forum and that thread. The second link is from my own attempt to bring some attention to the fact that finally LFS is making an appearance on R2P. That thread was locked by the admins when the language became so offensive drunken sailors were sending in their complaints.

196

www.autosimsport.net

So let’s see here (tongue hanging out of mouth!) ... €4.50 times twelve equals €54 per year, and that’s all you pay (not counting man hours) for a solution that works out to be a good enough to compete with what RD and RSC have now. With enough visitors, you could probably cover that with simple Google adverts. Bottom line? I will not donate money to either of those sites ‘cause it’s just not worth it. I’d rather spend my money on the sites that offer quality online racing on stable servers.

And this, of course, brings me to Race2Play once more.

Volume 5 Number 2

Magnus Opus Feeling The Heat ...

continued

It has got my all time favourite Volvo in it, the late ’90s Volvo S40 Super Touring that competed in both STCC and BTCC. It’s good looking, good sounding, good performing, won many races, and it was simply a blast to sit down and drive.

But ... Why oh why wasn’t it also made available as an add‐on to Race ‘07? Volvo—The Game is fun, but it’s a game, not a sim, and ‘sit down and drive’ doesn’t do it for me …

One of those posters actually continued to PM me for several days after the thread was locked with menacing language and so forth. The end result? Out of six Touring Car races schedule on R2P, four of them saw less than ten starters, and one race was cancelled. I am convinced, of course, that the devs on LFS must be elated by the prospect that new licenses will not be sold because of LFS’s arrival at R2P, I really am, and the LFS community ought to really hold their heads up high. There is nothing better for the future of a sim than nixing potential sales in the bud. Excellent work, chaps!

Of course, the fanboys are not the only thing hurting LFS right now. There is trouble brewing, and it is spelled ‘lack of updates’. You see, I do think the LFS has some of the best physics currently available, and I’m still in love with it, but the trouble is, others are catching up. As modders get better, and as more and more talented people release stuff for rFactor, and GTR Evo, and so forth, the physics and the sheer modeling and texture quality of LFS are beginning to look dated.

I understand that a small team take longer to develop stuff, and I understand that all of them—Eric, Victor, and Scawen—want to release only quality stuff. But now it’s been six month (give or take) since the promised VW update, and about a year (give or take) since the last major update was released. Content is the same in regards of tracks and cars, and there is only so many laps you can do on one track until you get a bit bored with it. I’ve said it before, but it was never truer than now: It’s time to bring in the modders. A sim cannot survive without the modders, and LFS is no exception, particularly when you consider how small the development team is. At the very least, let the modders loose on the tracks. If they are worried about quality (and they would probably be right on that score), put together a panel of judges to make sure the quality is up to par, but whatever the decision, something needs to be done about the lack of content.

Is It Just Me, Or Is Everything …?

Is that enough barking at things for now? I think yes, because there are some good things going on, too. For example, we got a free game, courtesy of Volvo and SimBin—how cool is that? And it has got my all time favourite Volvo in it, the late ’90s Volvo S40 Super Touring that competed in both STCC and BTCC. It’s good looking, good sounding, good performing, won many races, and it was simply a blast to sit down and drive.

But ... Why oh why wasn’t it also made available as an add‐on to Race ‘07? Volvo—The Game is fun, but it’s a game, not a sim, and comes with no garage or anything like that, and just ‘sit down and drive’ doesn’t do it for me. I want all those beautiful Volvos in a proper sim environment. Pretty Please?

Other good things are going on, too, in the world of Turismo Carretera. The latest update contains a whole heap of goodies along with the 2009 cars: several track updates, including

197

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Magnus Opus Feeling The Heat ...

continued

removal of the chicane at Balcarce, along with a never before seen ProCar 4000 series, and rFm changes to suit the 2009 rules. One minor glitch with all this, though, is that there seems to be some bugs in the update. A post made by the developers 2Pez at RSC acknowledges that, ‘The 2009 version has some bugs. A group of fans is {sic} working in a corrected version.

Please take a look at www.simutc.com.ar in some days.’

Well a few days have passed since that post was made, and I still get a 404 Error when I click on the update banner at their site, but if you still want to try the 2009 update, before the bug‐fixes, it’s available here.

An Epiphany Last, I would like to share an epiphany I had the other day when I was watching the sadness that is the WTCC. As I don’t have Eurosport available where I live, I rely on torrents—in fact, I get all my motor‐sport that way, and so far it seems like I’m getting away with it. But that’s not what I was going to share, so let’s move on!

Have you noticed lately how real‐life racing seems to be going through a crisis? No one sounds happy, no one seems to fully enjoy what they are doing, and no one who watches the darn thing is completely satisfied. And it’s not just WTCC, it’s Formula One, and SpeedCar, and everywhere else too. F1 is going to become what, two single make series (this week, anyway!)? GT1 fields in the LeMans Series, American LeMans, and LeMans 24 Hours are a joke, diesels are winning it all and can’t be stopped, and is there anyone still watching the FIA‐GT, and what in the world is going on with WTCC. Are they all mad? I think so, ‘cause it hasn’t been this frustrating to be a spectator in a long time. But here’s the epiphany you’ve been waiting for...

You, the guys involved in real‐life racing, regardless of your function and position, please take a moment and look at the world of simulated‐racing. We do it for fun, with passion for what we do, and we keep fairplay always at the top of the agenda. If one particular car is too strong compared to the others, we put weight or restrictions on it until it’s balanced with the others. If a series doesn’t work out the way it was supposed to, we abandon it and regroup, come up with something that works better, and never look back. If we, for some reason, have an argument, we don’t threaten to leave the series, we rely on the admins and the marshals to make it right and deal out the proper penalty. The next time we meet on track, all is forgotten. And if you don’t see what I mean, take a look at those few series in the world that seem to work out properly, that are still enjoyable to watch, series like the V8 Supercars that seem to have the ultimate success package going. Two makes of equal strength do battle on fourteen very varied circuits, and even if there are conflicts every now and then between the drivers, everyone accepts what the judges say and then move on to the next race—with the active word being race.

So ... take my advice. Look at what works in the simulated‐world as well as in the real‐ world, and then adapt it to work with your series. In the end, you will gain spectators, sponsors, and fans. As it is now, you will lose all that and fast, because we tune in to motor‐ racing to be entertained, not to hear about the latest backroom drama featuring Max Mosley, and Bernie Ecclestone and their fascist‐fantasies (and by that I mean Ecclestone, not Mosley, whose ‘oh Hitler was just a misunderstood CEO, really’ ought to see him publicly flogged {wait, that’s Mosley, right?}).

And that’s it. All that remains for me now is to wish you all a superb summer, good racing, happy modding, and well‐met releases. I am off to beat a few crazy South Americans in the 2009 version of Turismo Carretera. Doubtful if I succeed, but I will try. If not, I may just set up a European series with the sim and see if I have better luck with that.

See you all next time!

198

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

SimSmith

All iWant For This Week Is My Ten…

Jiminee Smith politely asks for ten things for Lent …

JIMINEE IS AWAY …

JIMINEESMITH

199

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag

Missed The Cut Goodwood 2009

200

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag Missed The Cut

continued

201

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag Missed The Cut

continued

202

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag Missed The Cut

continued

203

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag Missed The Cut

continued

204

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2

Chequered Flag Missed The Cut

continued

.

205

www.autosimsport.net

Volume 5 Number 2