rec.autos.simulators

I'm still playing Nascar 1, and it seems to me that everybody
frequenting this group is a SUPER nascar driver.  In the interest of
anybody who's not, I wanted to start a discussion.

I've been playing this game off and on for about 3 months now.  I've
settled for the last month on the following settings to ensure a good
time in a reasonable amount of playing time :

Control - 1 joystick
strength - 95%
max opponents
automatic shifting
manual braking
random weather
no cautions, no pace lap
race length - 25%

(It's fun to race longer than that - say 100% at Bristol - but you can
kiss your day goodbye if you do that)

I've been taking these settings since I crash, bump, slide or
something occasionally during the race, and I want to be able to have
a shot at winning anyway.  I've won most of the tracks, the only
difficulty I have is most of the short tracks (Bristol is a notable
exception - It's a cakewalk).  After I can win most/all of the tracks
I want to crank up my opponent difficulty.

Bearing this in mind, here's my problems/difficulties with Nascar 1 :

1.  How on earth can you race Sears Point or Watkins Glen ?  I can do
one of two things here - crash, crash, crash or go so slow I get
lapped by the field.

2.  Richmond & Dover Downs are viciously difficult to drive - I've
still never finished at Dover and Richmond I've managed 22nd.  My main
problem is I only want to pit once since that's how many times the AI
cars pit - but my tires wear out and make it difficult to drive.  I
tend to end up crashing before/soon after pitting.  Any suggestions as
to how to make tires last ?

3.  Pocono (as well as I guess Loudon, N Wilkes etc) have no banking.
The AI guys seem to have no trouble keeping up speed around the turns
there, but when I do that I tend to destroy my tires much faster than
they do.  How do I keep speed in a flat turn without killing tires?

Thanks to all,
MistrX

Hi Craig,

Perhaps it's the male-ego, but a great deal of those here (including
myself<g>) THINK of themselves as a GREAT driver.  While I don't
intend to dispute anyone's prowess at the track, I'll join in on
this discussion.  :)

I would also add, that each player will have his own preferable race
settings, and I too have my own.  First (IMHO), you should set the pace
lap on.  There are a number of reasons for this, but I will give what
I feel to be the most important: that the pace lap will help settle
you into a more relaxed position for the remainder of the race.  Just
as it's important to "stretch-out" before doing any running, the pace
will focus on the task at hand - winning the race - and doing so clean.

A few may also argue that the yellow-flag be switched on.  This is
really up to the user (just as any of these settings), but it's another
opportunity to calm one's nerves after a wreck, etc.  Also, it can be
damn hard to catch up to the rest of the field if they never slow down.
With the option turned OFF, you increase the chance of ruining a good
run, and thereby decrease the likelihood of that "winning shot."

Each track has its own characteristics and quirks, in that a setting of
95% at one track almost never works at another.  The AI are just that:
"Artificial" intelligence.  Plus the game is supposed to randomize the
values of these drivers.  The track also has its random figure, in the
form of weather.  Most (it's assumed) will set the track parameters to
a constant setting, thus eliminating the extra variable.

You can change some of the values in the TRACK.TXT files (RELS & BLAP)
so that you won't have to constantly figure at which track the AI are
too fast, and at which one's they aren't.  This point can be a whole
subject itself (as anything else<g>), and takes a great deal of experi-
menting to get things just right.  For the most part, the settings are
pretty close, and only require a bit of "tweaking".

Slowing down helps, since many will "attack" a corner too aggressively.
The brakes usually "mush" upon entrance to a corner, as the game will
attempt to "simulate" the effects of weight transfer.

The most important advice however, would be to visit some of the web
sites that feature N1 & 2.  The games are a bit different only in looks
and features, but the driving principles learned from an N2 track guide
should hold true for driving on N1 tracks.

A good place to start would be the track guide selections offered at
the IVGA:

    http://www.ivga.com/

If you use the above advice to switch the yellow to ON, this will help.

If you happen to be running at the front of the pack, then you pit when
the leaders do.  If you're pretty much a back-marker, then pitting at
every opportunity (usually under yellow) can help you gain a position
or two.

There are a hundred other factors involved, namely setup and driving
line.  The IVGA (and quite a number of other sites) have a great deal
of info regarding the proper line, as well as a horde of excellent
setups.

Oh, yes!!  These are among my absolute favorites!!  BTW, they aren't
flat, there's some banking at all corners (except the final turn at
Pocono), and this is where the car's setup will either take advantage
of the track's shape, or take advantage of the track's walls.<g>

These tracks are among a few examples of "slow-down to go fast."  As
mentioned above, being too aggressive in the turns will only hurt your
exit, thus killing your track times.  Carefully learn the proper line
at these tracks (at a comfortable pace), only adding a little more
speed (or experimenting with different lines) when ready.  Not taking
the time to learn the track's characteristics will contribute to not
being able to have that "winning shot."

Good luck.

Best Regards,

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing News - USA
http://members.aol.com/simracing

[1.  How on earth can you race Sears Point or Watkins Glen ?  I can do
one of two things here - crash, crash, crash or go so slow I get
lapped by the field.

2.  Richmond & Dover Downs are viciously difficult to drive - I've
still never finished at Dover and Richmond I've managed 22nd.  My main
problem is I only want to pit once since that's how many times the AI
cars pit - but my tires wear out and make it difficult to drive.  I
tend to end up crashing before/soon after pitting.  Any suggestions as
to how to make tires last ?

3.  Pocono (as well as I guess Loudon, N Wilkes etc) have no banking.
The AI guys seem to have no trouble keeping up speed around the turns
there, but when I do that I tend to destroy my tires much faster than
they do.  How do I keep speed in a flat turn without killing tires?]

      As a fellow amateur:

1.  I get better with a lot of practice.

2.  The good setups on the Web are often much easier to drive than the
Ace, which
is often diabolically twitchy.

3.  On the road courses and Pocono, think slow in, fast out.  Use all the
track width
coming out.  Master Pocono first, then Sears Point.  I'm still a klutz at
the Glen,
in spite of finishing 3rd Showroom Stock C in a real race there :-).

                            bob

In fact, I find driving NASCARs on road courses to be one of the bigger
challenges in sim racing.  While my reflexes have slowed since I
migrated from ICRII, I have understood car dynamics and control much
better since.  I race in the Internet TouringCar Championship (ITCC),
and all we do is road courses with NASCARs (ever heard of BTCC champ
Frank Biela in his Audi A4 or NATCC champ Randy Pobst in his Honda
Accord?).  You won't believe how much fun and how hard it is to drive
Elkhart or Mid-Ohio (we converted them from ICRII)

To improve on road courses, you HAVE to go to manual shifting.  You
don't have time to watch your speedometer; you go by exhaust note and
gear for the proper speeds.

Gregory Fung

Vancouver, B.C., Canada