rec.autos.simulators

One reason for this is of course the fact that I have alot more
GPL experiance now.  Another reason I think is that the circuits
today (i.e. ICR2, Nascar 2/1999/3) are alot safer and there is a
bigger margin for error.

For example a wheel on the grass at Rouen may well have you
ending up against a tree, while the same thing at Elkhart lake
will probarbly mean just a trip across the sand or grass.

At Monaco running wide inevitably means wrapping your Lotus 49
around a lampost, while at Long Beach you most likely will get
away with brushing the wall and acquiring no damage.

I think these converted tracks give us an oppurtunity to drive
old and present day tracks in the same cars and experiance the
advances in track safety.

Chris

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    That was an argument that I was trying to pass on that even though we
are driving the older cars doesn't mean that we can't update things.  I.E.:
run with modern rules, paint the cars, Run on new tracks, ect..  It was the
authenticates<sp> that didn't want to hear it.  probably still don't but are
running the new tracks anyhow ;-)

It's one reason why real F1 racing is totally different these days -
right up to the mid-seventies, courage was a massive part of a driver's
makeup, without it you couldn't be fast on the dangerous circuits of the
day.

Now F1 racing is far more like an athletic sporting skill such as
competition tennis - something heroic has been lost, but today's society
would not tolerate people dying on TV regularly in the name of sport.

- Michael

--
Bye,
Leo (former authenticate)

I'm sure if Noonan had cranked out the track converter in the first month
after GPL's release, people would still have gladly downloaded it and hit
their favourite tracks. Part of the fun would be seeing first hand how
different the driving model is, while ICR2 and N2 were still fresh in our
minds.  After all, what GPL junkie has even really touched those two in the
last two years?

Stephen

--
Regards,
Bruce Kennewell,
Canberra, Australia.
---------------------------

Chris

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The greatest fear of any driver (and I am taking this from the collected
comments gleaned from various references down the years) was to be trapped
in a burning car.  It was actually considered safer to be ejected from a
crashing vehicle than run the risk of being snared in the twisted
spaceframe. (witness the accident to Stirling Moss at Goodwood.....he was
literally wrapped in twisted metal and was soaked in fuel.  Not nice....not
nice at all).

Most people agree that this mindset stemmed from the fact that after the war
years a lot (and I mean a LOT) of racing drivers who had returned to
civilian life did so after being demobbed from the various air forces and if
there was one thing that aircrew had nightmares about it was being burned to
death.  This frame of mind, therefore, carried over to their sport which,
after facing death every day, they considered the risks to be childs play in
comparison.

This attitude prevailed for a long time and I can tell you that even in 1967
seatbelts were the rarity in any form of racing car in Britain or Europe.  I
can personally also vouch for the fact that, in the same year, drivers of
some open-wheelers were able to compete in shorts and T-shirts and not wear
a helmet!

It is the easiest thing in the world to be wise with the benefit of 40 years
of hindsight but on the day itself all one can do is live that
day......crystal balls do not work, I'm sorry to say.

--
Regards,
Bruce Kennewell,
Canberra, Australia.
---------------------------

Exactly. After all, Bandini died at Monaco due to burns when he crashed at
the chicane, but all told, if you had an accident in those days, you were
lucky to survive without serious injury or worse, whether you were in the
car or out of it

<Snip>

I know most race-cars, especially purpose built race-cars did'nt have belts,
and that quite a few drivers didn't bother with proper race-attire as we
would consider it today.  (Read Taruffi's "The Technique of Motor Racing")
In the end, the design of the cars left a lot to be desired with regards to
driver safety, but, they did not have had the knowledge that we have today
about what happens to a vehicle in a crash, and could obviously not
therefore design what we would consider a "safer" car.

You're not the only one, Bruce. I do regret that so many drivers of their
era were killed. I still remember some hideous accidents.  Better car design
and safer tracks would have helped, but as you say, we have the benefit of
hindsight.  Today, cars are safer. The real shame is that  we are left with
some truly awful tracks today for F1. and some once-great tracks have been
slowed down, rather than improving the run-off areas etc.

I still drive in a few ICR2 leagues, but GPL is my favorite racing sim ever.

Dan Belcher
Team Racing Unlimited
http://simcrashes.cjb.net