Tough to Enter the Racing Sim Scene

I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though, it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground and Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have also played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2. I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ... http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing FAQ. I guess my questions are ... What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a following? Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.? Thanks for any info.

You can still find NASCAR Racing 2003 on Amazon (subcontracted to someone like MaxRack), which gives you an entre into several great mods (Trans-Am, Touring Cars, IRL single-seaters), the greatest of which is C'One's 330 Classic, featuring fields full of Omygawd Ferrari P4s. GPL can be tough to find, but if you succeed, you can upgrade to the more-realistic (if less powerful) 1965 mod. The only thing that can touch Papy's sims--and their modded successors--is GTR...but it ain't out yet. Richard Burns and Live for Speed both have their fans...and they're readily available too! "Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... > I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the > very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the > types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport > Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though, > it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Undergroundand > Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I havealso

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> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2. > > I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be > great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / > trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be > great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, > but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar > 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. > > Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ... > > http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ > > http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ > > They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing > FAQ. > > I guess my questions are ... > > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) > > What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? > > I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? > > I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a

following?

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> > Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? > > Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words, > are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.? > > Thanks for any info. > >

----- Original Message ----- From: "Chuck" Subject: Tough to Enter the Racing Sim Scene > I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be > great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / > trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be > great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, > but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar > 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. N2003 = NASCAR Racing 2003 Season by Papyrus, sometimes also abbreviated NR2003S You should be able to find a store selling Grand Prix Legends (GPL) with a google search. Here's one: http://www.dirtcheapsoftware.com/grprlesi.html I've never ordered from them, though, so I won't recommend them one way or the other. F1 Challenge 99 - 02 (F1C) might be more challenging to find because EA Sports never reprinted it in a bargain format. There seems to have been only a limited number printed, and eBay is about the only place where copies can be found; it often sells for over $50. A good alternative would be F1 2002, which was printed in much higher numbers and had some good mods created for it that might still be available if you know where to look.

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> Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ... > > http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ > > http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ > > They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing > FAQ.

Be sure to look at these sites: http://www.rscnet.org/ Be sure to check the forums for lots of important info on GPL (and other sims, too). For someone just starting out in sims I would recommend the GPL '65 mod over the standard '67 GPL. The '67 cars have too much power for the available grip, making them very frustrating for beginners. http://www.theuspits.com/ probably the best N2003 mod site, including the TPTCC mod and the Ferarri 330 mod. TPTCC includes four different roadracing body styles (Ford GT, Mustang, Corvette, and Viper) and uses the 'papy trans am' physics, which modifies the standard NASCAR physics to make the cars more suitable for road racing. > I guess my questions are ... > > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) I think N2003 is the best thing going right now. The mods have taken it beyond NASCAR-style oval racing, and there is a huge number of tracks, including road courses, available. > What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? The creator of GPL and N2003 has started a new company with help from the owner of the Boston Red Sox, but nobody knows exactly what he's planning to do, other than it has something to do with racing simulation. > I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? Unfortunately, there are not as many options available in the wheel market as there used to be. The Momo has undergone many changes over the years and I don't know how good the current model is. I have one of the older red ones, and it is quite good. A search in on of the bigger forums should provide lots of good information. > I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a > following? It was largely superseded by F1 2002, and then F1C, but it did have a great GTR mod. I have no idea if it's still available (That was the first effort by the guys making the new GTR sim.) It was mostly an offline sim anyway, so if that's what you want, a small community is not a big problem. There isn't much (any) new stuff being made for it, and the old stuff might be hard to find. Ask in the forums at rscnet.org or http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~hg/forum/index.php > Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? One option is http://www.gogamer.com/ There may be better ones. > Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words, > are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.? There should be no problems with using imported PC software. > Thanks for any info. If you want to get involved in online racing a good place to start is the VROCF2 club, which has a Yahoo group http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/vroc-f2/ Hope this helps, Scott Spahr

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... > I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be > great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / > trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be > great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, > but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar > 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. F1C and N2003 are what you need right now. A GTP mod is coming out soon for N2003 which looks fantastic. GTR is to be released in early 2005. rFactor is also coming out soon which is ISI's latest (maker of F1C, GTR uses an improved F1C game engine). rFactor will have the latest ISI game engine, and will be highly moddable. http://www.rfactor.net/ -- David G Fisher

Chuck <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... > I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the > very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the > types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport > Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though, > it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Undergroundand > Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I havealso

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> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2. > > I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be > great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / > trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be > great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, > but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar > 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. > > Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ... > > http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ > > http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ > > They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing > FAQ. > > I guess my questions are ... > > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) > > What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? > > I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? > > I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a

following?

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> > Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? > > Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words, > are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.? > > Thanks for any info.

<shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem. > >

Chuck wrote: > <snip> > They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim > racing FAQ. Now there's an idea. There is a lot of knowledge posted around the internet, unfortunately in different locales and in different languages. I would be great to consolidate that somewhere central. The forums at Racesimcentral also contain a wealth of information if you're willing to trawl for it. http://www.rscnet.org > I guess my questions are ... > > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) None, really, Grand Prix Legends (apart from the graphics add-ons and tracks) has only one mod to date (the '65 mod), with some more in development. GPL is all but abandonware nowadays and I'm sure that if you ask around a friendly simmer near you will get you set up. If not, publisher "Sold Out" still sells GPL for about $5. F1 Challenge '99-02 has a lot of great mods, but online play is a little suspect and availability is not great. Like I posted some two weeks back, I noticed two copies at a local superstore. If you're willing to re-imburse me the 10,- Euro asking price + postage (i.e. send me $15 via mail once you receive it), I'm willing to go back and pick it up for you if they still have it. Warning: included "manual" (read leaflet explaining the menus) may be in Dutch. You really should give NR2003 (Nascar Racing 2003 Season by Sierra-Papyrus) a go. Not only is it still available from places like amazon.com, but there are some mods being made. Although most non-NASCAR series still suffer from the setup restrictions imposed by the game. That said, it would be a mistake to dismiss oval racing using NR2003 outright. Thousands of racesimmers pounding around virtual ovals every week can't be wrong. There is a certain something (and nearly infinate challenge) to oval racing. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't taken 5 laps of Huntsville to pass another driver, but just get into it and you'll see what we're on about. Which is Juan Pablo Montoya was understating things just a bit when he said (about racing at Indy): "it's only four corners... how hard can it be?" Did you know this group hosts its own (predominately oval) racing series using NR2003? Go to http://www.schuerkamp.de/zope/rascar for more information. Also look at community efforts like "Racer" and NetKar. > What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? Live for Speed (http://www.liveforspeed.net) is gearing up for its "S2" release. No mod scene attached, but a good racing experience (even online, with the right people) nevertheless. To be sampled at least. rFactor (http://www.rfactor.net) is heavily relying on a mod community forming around it. Multiplayer demo reported to appear soon. Then there's the project based on Dave Keammer's sponsored buy-out of Papyrus source code (http://www.first-racing.net/). An idea similar to West-Racing's Racing Legends, but with the added assurance our boy Dave will, given 3 years, come up with something more tangible than a couple of renders of a team transporter. On the more "fun/arcade but still worth playing" side I'm looking forward to Flat Out by Bugbear (of Rally Trophy fame) and World Racing 2 by Synetic (of Mercedes Benz Truck and World Racing fame). > I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? I guess it's the best of the current crop, but oldtimers will recommend either an Act Labs Force RS, a Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback or an "original" Logitech MOMO wheel (which are no longer being made). Apart from buying a high end non-FF wheel (TSW/ECCI/BRD) or waiting for the BRD FF wheel, it's the best one going. > I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a > following? Eeeek... $3 down the drain, I'm afraid. > Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? No, but several vendors ship to the US. See other replies or search the group for details. RBR, IMO, is an ideal beginner's sim, as it works really well with the majority of controllers right of the box. Papyrus (GPL/NRx) and ISI (F1C) sims require a lot of tweaking and some manual editing of files to get "right". > Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other > words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the > U.S.? No racing sims I know of are regionalised. Americans/Canadians race on various European servers (and vise versa) without any problems at all (Papyrus sims and LFS). Thank you for checkng out our genre. I know it's hard on novices, but, if one's open to it, help, support and a lasting challenge are at hand. I hope you enjoy your voyage of discovery. Jan. =---

Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is free!!! here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/ Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force feedback, and there is a little multiplayer interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv "Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]...

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>I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of the > very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have researched the > types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I just adore Rallisport > Challenge 2, even though it's known as an arcade game. Honestly, though, > it's hard to lump it in the same category as Need for Speed Underground > and > Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I have > also > played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as RS2. > > I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed to be > great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I don't like / > trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it for $50 that would be > great. I've also read good things about Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, > but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar > 2003. You guys use lots of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. > > Somehow I've been able to find some good web sites ... > > http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ > > http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ > > They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim racing > FAQ. > > I guess my questions are ... > > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) > > What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? > > I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? > > I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a > following? > > Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? > > Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other words, > are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in the U.S.? > > Thanks for any info. > >

> > Thanks for any info. > > > <shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem. >I understand his reluctance. I've used ebay 3 times and got screwed twice.

Tanstaafl <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:LMChd.89862$[email hidden]...

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> > > > Thanks for any info. > > > > > > <shrug> Used eBay for years and years. Not one problem. > > > I understand his reluctance. I've used ebay 3 times and got screwed

twice. Interesting. Not once in almost seven years here. Over a thousand transactions. Just takes a minute or two of research before bidding, selling, etc. if one is worried. > >

Juan, IS there still people playing this game? I still have it installed, and since I am in Central USA, I never see anyone on the servers (using the website that lists servers and drivers (no I dont have th elink here at work))... I ssumed it was a dead duck, and soI race solely offline... I still just love the ferrari gto the best. Juan Vizoso enlightened us with:

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> Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is > free!!! here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/ > Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force > feedback, and there is a little multiplayer > interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv > > "Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... >> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of >> the very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have >> researched the types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I >> just adore Rallisport Challenge 2, even though it's known as an >> arcade game. Honestly, though, it's hard to lump it in the same >> category as Need for Speed Underground and >> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I >> have also >> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as >> RS2. I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are supposed >> to be great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I >> don't like / trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it >> for $50 that would be great. I've also read good things about Nascar >> 2003. I don't like Nascar, but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has >> lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar 2003. You guys use lots of >> acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. Somehow I've been able to find >> some good web sites ... >> >> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ >> >> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ >> >> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim >> racing FAQ. >> >> I guess my questions are ... >> >> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the >> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) >> >> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? >> >> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? >> >> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a >> following? >> >> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? >> >> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other >> words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in >> the U.S.? Thanks for any info.

Try www.liveforspeed.net . It's not moddable at the moment, but you will love it, I'm sure. You can download the game and play online and offline one Track and three different cars freely. One Tip: Try to get some good Beginners-Setups for the cars and you will have much fun. Daniel Chuck wrote: > What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the > internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR)

Hi there 'plowboy2' ... a Netkar fan!! If you want to see if there are any servers up and running Netkar , you should try using the nkDaemon server list application (downloadable from the netkar site) .. ,but you are right , living in the states I would surmise that the pings to the one or two european servers running would be too high, but give it a go! Probably best to give it a try on a weekend at a 'european friendly time' ...... hehe the ferrari gto would handle a lot better if they had actually fitted the proper double width rear tyres on in the sim :-) .. I know they meant to .. but it slipped under the radar! jv "Plowboy2" <stingre.removethis_@yahoo!.removeit> wrote in message news:NENhd.59163$%x.51432@okepread04...

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> Juan, > > IS there still people playing this game? I still have it installed, > and since I am in Central USA, I never see anyone on the servers (using > the website that lists servers and drivers (no I dont have th elink here > at work))... > > I ssumed it was a dead duck, and soI race solely offline... I still just > love the ferrari gto the best. > > > > > Juan Vizoso enlightened us with: >> Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is >> free!!! here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/ >> Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force >> feedback, and there is a little multiplayer >> interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv >> >> "Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >> news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... >>> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because of >>> the very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have >>> researched the types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I >>> just adore Rallisport Challenge 2, even though it's known as an >>> arcade game. Honestly, though, it's hard to lump it in the same >>> category as Need for Speed Underground and >>> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I >>> have also >>> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as >>> RS2. I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are >>> supposed >>> to be great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I >>> don't like / trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it >>> for $50 that would be great. I've also read good things about Nascar >>> 2003. I don't like Nascar, but I've read Nascar2003 is good and has >>> lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar 2003. You guys use lots of >>> acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. Somehow I've been able to find >>> some good web sites ... >>> >>> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ >>> >>> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ >>> >>> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim >>> racing FAQ. >>> >>> I guess my questions are ... >>> >>> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over the >>> internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? (Non-NASCAR) >>> >>> What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than GT-R? >>> >>> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid it? >>> >>> I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a >>> following? >>> >>> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? >>> >>> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other >>> words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in >>> the U.S.? Thanks for any info. > >

Thanks Juan, Glad to read there are others, I had 3 guys vanish off the net I raced it with, and dont see to many others like i already said. Hehehee, yeah now that Im engaged again, I dont have the 20 hours in a day on the computer weekends anymore, dont miss it that much though LOL. I read some google converted site (drivingitalia?) about they were possibly working on something new? Translation left lots to be desired of course. Juan Vizoso enlightened us with:

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> Hi there 'plowboy2' ... a Netkar fan!! > > If you want to see if there are any servers up and running Netkar , > you should try using the nkDaemon server list application > (downloadable from the netkar site) .. ,but you are right , living in > the states I would surmise that the pings to the one or two european > servers running would be too high, but give it a go! Probably best to > give it a try on a weekend at a 'european friendly time' ...... hehe > the ferrari gto would handle a lot better if they had actually fitted > the proper double width rear tyres on in the sim :-) .. I know they > meant to .. but it slipped under the radar! jv > "Plowboy2" <stingre.removethis_@yahoo!.removeit> wrote in message > news:NENhd.59163$%x.51432@okepread04... >> Juan, >> >> IS there still people playing this game? I still have it >> installed, and since I am in Central USA, I never see anyone on the >> servers (using the website that lists servers and drivers (no I dont >> have th elink here at work))... >> >> I ssumed it was a dead duck, and soI race solely offline... I >> still just love the ferrari gto the best. >> >> >> >> >> Juan Vizoso enlightened us with: >>> Shame on you guys, no one mentioned Netkar ! .. after all it is >>> free!!! here's the link .... http://www.nkzone.com/ >>> Just my opinion :-) free and not at all bad ..nice force >>> feedback, and there is a little multiplayer >>> interest ... and did I say it was free ? jv >>> >>> "Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >>> news:fDyhd.50999$[email hidden]... >>>> I got sucked into racing of all types this year initially because >>>> of the very interesting Speed World Challenge. In response I have >>>> researched the types of sim racing available on the PC and Xbox. I >>>> just adore Rallisport Challenge 2, even though it's known as an >>>> arcade game. Honestly, though, it's hard to lump it in the same >>>> category as Need for Speed Underground and >>>> Midnight Club - a couple of supremely unrealistic racing games. I >>>> have also >>>> played Colin McRae 04 which is great, but not quite as much fun as >>>> RS2. I know that Grand Prix Legends and F1 Challenge 99 - 02 are >>>> supposed >>>> to be great sims for the PC, but where on Earth can you buy them? I >>>> don't like / trust Ebay. If I could just go to ebgames and buy it >>>> for $50 that would be great. I've also read good things about >>>> Nascar 2003. I don't like Nascar, but I've read Nascar2003 is good >>>> and has lots of mods... if N2003 = Nascar 2003. You guys use lots >>>> of acronyms that I have trouble deciphering. Somehow I've been able >>>> to find some good web sites ... >>>> >>>> http://www.simracingworld.com/index/ >>>> >>>> http://www.bhmotorsports.com/ >>>> >>>> They are informative, but there should really be some kind of sim >>>> racing FAQ. >>>> >>>> I guess my questions are ... >>>> >>>> What are some great, moddable racing sims that you can play over >>>> the internet and actually AVAILABLE for sale in the U.S.? >>>> (Non-NASCAR) What hotly anticipated sims are coming out soon other than >>>> GT-R? >>>> >>>> I plan to buy the Logitech Momo wheel. Any reason I should avoid >>>> it? I bought F1 2001 today (for three dollars). Does it still have a >>>> following? >>>> >>>> Can you buy Richard Burns Rally in the U.S.? >>>> >>>> Is there any way to play European racing sims in the U.S.? In other >>>> words, are they region restricted? Will anyone sell them to us in >>>> the U.S.? Thanks for any info.

"Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:LjAhd.7485$[email hidden]... [snip tons of useful stuff] Needs a few more helpful guys like you around here Jan - nice response :) Regards

Thanks to all you guys who gave me so much input. You helped greatly. I ordered the Logitech MOMO wheel. It should be here Friday. I downloaded and played Live For Speed. OMG! It's so effing sweet! I'm only able to play it with the mouse, but it's still good. One complaint: It would be nice if they used licensed car manufacturers. Of course, the demo for GTR has been a blast as well, but using the keyboard sucks. The sound on that game is unreal. I'll get Nascar 2003 eventually, I'm sure. It's pretty cheap and available. Jan: Okay, I'll try racing an oval. I'm sure it's more challenging than Juan Montoya thinks. Thanks again. Chuck.

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:2rbkd.11220$[email hidden]: > Jan: Okay, I'll try racing an oval. I'm sure it's more challenging than > Juan Montoya thinks.He has good grounds for these thoughts. I remember watching him winning at Indy (IRL oval) and it surely wasn't looking challenging. For him that is;) Alex.