All,
Well, it had to happen. Like real racing, you don't find the limits
unless you push them and sadly, it looks like The Pits pushed them too
far.
On 13th May 1996, Jan Kohl who runs the US Mirror of The Pits,
recieved a call from Andrew Gurtis, licensing director for Daytona
Speedway and Talladega.
What follows is based on e-mail from Jan.
Jan was asked if he owned a web site called The Pits and was
asked for a mailing address.
When Jan asked why, he was told that 'they could not allow the Daytona
Patch to proceed' and they wished to send an official letter asking us
to 'cease and desist with the project'.
Jan exlpained that he was not directly involved with the project and
was just the aministrater of the US Mirror. He said that before he
release any mailing addresses, he would have to speak to me first.
I responded by writing a fairly lengthy e-mail to Andrew, explaining
the following points about the Daytona Patch.
1) The Patch is so called because is is designed to 'PATCH the whole
left by DAYTONA' in the simulator.
2) Although in the preview the track was named Daytona, this was done
to prove it could be done. The actual release version would be
released under a fictional track name.
3) The track is based on data from the Talladega track supplied with
Nascar racing. All scenery changes, apart from bitmap textures, are
taken from data, already existing in the Nascar simulation and Track
Pack. No alterations have been made to the shape of Talladega to make
it any more like Daytona.
4) The patch works by taking data from other DAT files alreading
existing on the users hard disk and compiling them into a new file.
My argument was that without using the Daytona name, using a track
layout already licensed by them for use in the game and the fact that
we make no money from it, surely can't be a breach of licensing.
Anyhow, to date I have recieved no reply from Andrew Gurtis or anyone
else at DIS.
I have forwarded a mailing address to him, via Jan, with which to
issue an official written statement of intent. Once this is recieved I
will post all relevent information to The Pits.
In the meantime, both Jan and I have decided that the Daytona Patch is
suspended until the matter is resolved. It is unlikley that it will be
released unless Daytona have a change of heart or agree that there is
no breach of licensing laws.
To fill you in, this is how far it had got.
The actual track was finished 6 weeks ago and tested by myself and
Jan. New AI was tested and all agreed that it transformed the
Talladega 'base' into something better.
I had just started to write the actual patch EXE two week ago and was
about halfway done a few weeks ago.
So there you have it. Many of you had noticed that the Daytona page
had gone from the US site and some of you though this was being done
to make way for the finished product. Sorry to disapoint you all.
However, don't lose heart. I'm still working on other things. I'm
currently experimenting with other tracks and at present I'm working
on a 'dirt oval' which has a surface the same as the grass at other
tracks and some interesting handling.
I'm also thinking of writing some Windows based editors to alter
things like Driver AI and track settings.
All in all, maybe now the Daytona project is on hold, I'll have more
time to sort ot The Pits.
Anyhow, thanks for all the support over the past few months.
Please take note of the following.
Do not e-mail me asking/begging me to send you the track. I wont and
your e-mail won't even get replied to!
Any if you want, drop Daytona a line and let them now what you think,
but don't be rude or insultive, it won't get us anywhere.
Regards
Jed
The Pits
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
http://www.racesimcentral.net/