rec.autos.simulators

Let's hear it for Dave Noonan, an early GPL trackmaker (his Imola remains
one of the game's enduring pleasures), and previous auteur of a successful
GPL track converter.

Now mining the same sources, he has come up with a NASCAR 2003/N2002/N4
converter that allows you to drive late-model Cup cars at 31 tracks
"borrowed" from previous Papy games like IndyCar Racing and NASCAR Legends.
While stock cars are a bit more wobbly and wallowy than vintage Formula One
cars, the improvements in Papy's physics model (particularly the tire
modeling) give you an idea of what driving GPL 2 might have felt like...and
it feels good.

Frankly, my dears, I don't give a damn about any more ovals (even Papy's new
figure-8 add-on for N2003 is a bore), but I do have a keen appreciation for
the road courses in the converter, particularly Riverside (you drive thru
sand storms in the Esses, just like Gurney did), Spa (would you believe
3:05s in a *stock* car?), Monza (at last, an easy way to go sub-1:30),
Mosport, Monaco, a chicane-less Watkins Glen, Rouen, and Kyalami.

Less successful but still interesting: Heartland, Laguna Seca, Mexico,
Mid-Ohio, Portland, Surfers, Toronto, and Vancouver.  Be warned: I had some
texture problems with an ATI Radeon (altho none with an nVidia GeForce).

Grab it at:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

The full version is a mere 15 U.K. pounds, and worth every pence.  If you
need further convincing, a demo is available for free.

Previous Noonan converters for Papy's NASCAR series add tracks like the
infamous Bull Run, Ste. Jovite, the Oesterreichring, and Silverstone (a
gem...and perfect for online bashes).

It's made a Cup car road-racer outta me.  I'm nominating Noonan for
knighthood.  Seconds?

--Steve Smith

hehe. I'm kidding ya, man. That's just the beer talkin'. :)

-Will

A second here. Without question (in my mind anyway), Dave's work is
the single biggest improvement to the NRxxxx series ever. The only
thing closer is the excellent spotter sound pack made by Dave Hoffman
(the way the spotter SHOULD have been done, Papy).

Dave Noonan's converter + End of the line for NASCAR sims by Papy +
Ingenuity of the sim community regarding mods & updates = One hell of
a good time!

If the sim community spends 50% of the time it did/does on GPL on the
Nr2003, then look out. Spanning Tom Pabst and others with their track
graphics, Dave Hoffman and his continued work on the spotter/crew
chief and OH, to have the ability to convert the best GPL user made
tracks to a NR2003 format......

As a die hard NASCAR fan (for the time being, they are quickly
spinning out of conrol and driving me ((and plenty of others))
away...but that's for another thread), I usually race the hell outta
the new Papy sim and then wait and wait and wait until I can get ahold
of the newest converter from DN. He never disappoints, imo.

Thanks again, Dave. Keep it up and keep the converts coming
(Lemans??????)

Dave R.

GPL tracks are a blast, as are Long Beach and Laguna Seca.

Now if someone would get around to converting Lime Rock, Falkenberg,
and Bathurst from GPL we'd be really cooking. =)

Jason

I have the converter but how do you convert riverside, and O-ring?

I frankly am completely in love with Spa at this point.  I know you
*** types prefer the agonies of the 'Ring, but for someone
who isn't quite at that level of ability (and is too lazy to memorize
all those turns), Spa is a dream, even if I keep wrecking every
third lap (I particularly hate it when I lose it, slide through one of
those "ghost" houses, and can't get back on the friggin track...).

        John DiFool

--

Fester

Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy
"goyl at nettx dot no"

http://www.theuspits.com

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels........"
--Groucho Marx--

http://www.dwarehouse.com/nr03.htm

Eldred
--
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPLRank:-1.950
MonsterRank: +305.145
N2002 Rank:+17.59

Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Bruce.