NEWMAN-HAAS RACING: DRIVING GUIDE By Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: August 1, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: August 13, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Getting Started Turbo Championship Mode Driving Details: Houston Grand Prix Driving Details: Laguna Seca Driving Details: Long Beach Driving Details: Mid-Ohio Driving Details: Portland Raceway Driving Details: Road America Driving Details: Surfers Paradise Driving Details: Toronto Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 12345678901234567890123456 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ This guide is nearly 25 pages long in the Macintosh version of Word 98 using single-spaced Courier 12 font. ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Games Domain, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RobsGaming.com, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, RedCoupe, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION For those who love Indy-style racing, Newman-Haas Racing is definitely a good game. The graphics may not be as flashy as for racing games on the PlayStation2, and there are certainly not nearly as many tuning options as in the world-famous Gran Turismo series, but Newman-Haas Racing does nonetheless have an appeal all its own :-) Also, the emphasis in this game is NOT on oval-style racing; the oval Milwaukee Mile and Brazil's trapezoidal Emmerson Fittipaldi Raceway (no longer in use for CART or IRL racing) are included in the game, but Newman-Haas Racing features four dedicated road courses (Mid- Ohio, Laguna Seca, Portland Raceway, and Road America) and four street circuits (Surfers Paradise, Toronto, Long Beach, and Houston Grand Prix). Newman-Haas Racing also provides multiple levels of gameplay along with plenty of customization options. This game can be as easy or as difficult as a player wishes. To that end, this is a great game for both young children AND parents, and the difficulty level can be gradually increased as players hone their racing skills. Interestingly, Qualifying and Race sessions can include optional 'live' commentary by Danny Sullivan (who now - VERY poorly - heads ABC Sports' F1 pre-race coverage for the 2002 races at Monaco, Canada, Italy, and United States) and Bob Varsha (who in 2002 is the lead commentator for CART coverage on Speed Channel, FOX, and CBS). The final segment of this guide includes detailed driving instructions for the road courses and street courses in Newman-Haas Racing. Some of these circuits have been included in other racing games; for example, there is a version of Houston Grand Prix in the PlayStation2 game CART Fury, and Laguna Seca is included in both the PlayStation/PSOne game Gran Turismo 2 and its PlayStation2 sequel Gran Turismo 3. ============================================== GETTING STARTED Once past the introductory animation, the player is presented with what is essentially a large wheel. Pressing the left and right buttons on the D-pad will change the current selection (at the bottom of the wheel); for some selections, using the up and down buttons on the D-pad will make changes. Explore each of these areas. When the exploration is complete, go to Options and make appropriate adjustments to the game-wide set-up (controller, sound, etc.). Also, save your selections once made, just in case the electricity goes out or something else happens before you are able to save game progress later. With selections complete, go first to Car Setup and then to Race Setup and make appropriate adjustments here. I strongly suggest also making use of the Test Facility (Firebird, in Phoenix, Arizona) to become accustomed to the tuning options and the controls for the game. The Test Facility is done entirely in the equivalent of other games' Free Run Mode, with no other cars at the venue. Upon leaving Test Facility, return to the game's main menu. Select a Skill Level, then select a Track (Road America is initially selected by default); return to the game's main menu, then select Go! to head to the races :-) Race weekends are held in three stages. The first stage is Practice, which allows the player to find the best possible set-up for that track, without any interference from competitors. Next is Qualifying, where each driver has twelve laps to post the best possible time - with all the other competitors attempting the same feat at the same time, so trying to find a clear section of track is key to success here. The final stage is the Race itself, where drivers TRULY earn their money; those who elect to skip the Qualifying stage will automatically start the race at the back of the grid. ============================================== TURBO Cars in Newman-Haas Racing do have access to Turbo, but only in Race. There is also a very limited supply of Turbo, so drivers must wisely select the areas of the track where Turbo may produce the best advantage, as well as how long to leave Turbo activated. This is especially important in longer races. In general, Turbo should only be used on long straightaways to gain an advantage in straight-line speed. It should also be switched off well before the braking zone at the end of the straightaway, as Turbo is really of little use when cornering due to the extreme importance of turning ability versus overall speed. Note that even without using Turbo, cars can easily reach 190MPH on long straightaways; at Milwaukee Mile, cars can easily top 200MPH without using Turbo. Use of Turbo will allow cars to reach a higher top-end straight-line speed faster, but the advantages of this higher/faster combination need to seriously be weighed against the disadvantages (namely, not necessarily having enough Turbo left at the end of a race, when it is most likely to be needed). ============================================== CHAMPIONSHIP MODE This is where players can compete in an entire season of racing. While winning a race is great, consistency in finishing with a good placing in each race is what will earn the most points to win the championship. Championship points are awarded in this manner: First Place 20 points Second Place 16 points Third Place 14 points Fourth Place 12 points Fifth Place 10 points Sixth Place 8 points Seventh Place 6 points Eighth Place 5 points Ninth Place 4 points Tenth Place 3 points Eleventh Place 2 points Twelfth Place 1 point Thirteenth Place 0 points Fourteenth Place 0 points Fifteenth Place 0 points Sixteenth Place 0 points ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: HOUSTON GRAND PRIX Set in Houston, Texas, this venue features mostly perpendicular corners - not surprising for a circuit set within a city. The back straight is the longest straightaway of the circuit, lasting for a full seven city blocks. Most corners have rumble strips and paved mini-recovery areas, but some apexes have only unforgiving barriers, so make sure the first laps at this venue are nice and slow to become familiar with where one can and cannot clip the inside rumble strips. Turn 1: This is a left-hand perpendicular corner, with shortcutting possibilities by crossing the rumble strips. Immediately after the corner itself, the road fades to the left. Turn 2: Immediately after the fade, the course turns sharply to the right in a J-turn. Moderate braking is needed here, although light braking can be used if shortcutting the corner. Turn 3: This left-hand perpendicular corner does not have shortcutting possibilities, so moderate or heavy braking AND a solid racing line are required to safely clear this corner. Turn 4: Two city blocks beyond Turn 3, Turn 4 is a shortcuttable left-hand perpendicular corner. Light or moderate braking can be used here. Straightaway: This is the longest straightaway of the Houston circuit, covering a total of seven city blocks. Speeds approaching 200MPH are quite possible here, even without drafting. Turn 5: After the long back straightaway, moderate or even heavy braking will be required here to keep from banging the barriers on this left-hand perpendicular corner. Shortcutting is possible here. Turn 6: Very quickly after Turn 5, this left-hand right-angle turn requires light braking. Shortcutting is possible. Turn 7: Moderate braking is needed for this right-angle right-hand corner; shortcutting is possible. Turn 8: Immediately after Turn 7, the course makes a right- hand bend. Braking should not be needed here. Turn 9: This left-hand perpendicular corner required moderate braking and does not have the possibility of shortcutting. Turn 10: Light braking should be used for this final left- hand corner, also a right-angle corner with shortcutting possibilities. ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: LAGUNA SECA This is the home of the world-famous Corkscrew, the nasty left-right chicane on a steep downhill slope. Plenty of speed can be achieved at Laguna Seca, but severely high downforce is really key to safely navigating the Corkscrew (a solid racing line is also quite important). Turn 1: This is actually just a slight 'kink' to the left just underneath the pedestrian bridge at the Start/Finish Line. On exiting this 'corner,' Pit Exit rejoins the main circuit from the left. From here, the circuit slopes gently downhill to Andretti Hairpin. Turn 2 (Andretti Hairpin): This hairpin is actually a little more than the standard 180 degrees. Moderate or heavy braking will be required on approach. The best racing line is to approach from far-right, roll the left-side tires on the rumble strip at the apex, then drift back to the right on exit. The cones here block the old Pit Exit, which used to rejoin the main circuit at the exit of Andretti Hairpin. Cars which overshoot Andretti Hairpin will find themselves beached in the vast expanse of kitty litter to the outside of the hairpin. Turn 3: This right-hand corner will require moderate braking. Beware of sliding outward on exit, as the barrier is not very far off the pavement. Turn 4: Another right-hand corner, this turn can be taken with slight braking, dependent upon a solid racing line. Again, beware of drifting off the pavement on exit, as the barrier is not very far off the pavement. Straightaway: About two-thirds of the way along this straightaway (just past the end of the grandstands), the circuit bends very gently to the right. This can be a good place to judge the braking zone for Turn 5. Turn 5: Moderate braking will definitely be required here for this left-hand corner, unless you really want to slide out into the sand on the outside of the corner and into the nearby concrete and tires. Turn 6: A bridge marks the entry of Turn 6, which is a good reference point in case the distance-to-corner markers are knocked down or out of position during a race. The left-hand Turn 6 can be taken flat out by experts by using the rumble strips at the apex and exit, IF a pristine racing line can be held at full throttle. On both sides of the pavement on exit, sand awaits those who slide off the circuit or misjudge this corner. A long uphill climb begins here. Turn 7: Literally a few meters from the highest point of the circuit, this extremely gentle right-hand 'kink' could be taken flat-out if not for the upcoming Corkscrew. For most cars, braking must begin no later than Turn 7 to avoid colliding with the barrier entering the Corkscrew. Turns 8 and 8A (Corkscrew): This is the world-famous Corkscrew, one of the trickiest sections of racetrack on the planet. There is little run-off room through the Corkscrew, which is a moderate left-right chicane on a steep downhill mini-mountain which takes cars from the highest to the lowest point on the circuit in very little clock time. If the tires are worn, expect plenty of trouble here. Turn 9 (Rainey Curve): This left-hand corner at first appears to be only a perpendicular corner, but continues on beyond the pedestrian bridge, making this corner trickier than one might assume. A solid racing line is key here, but may be hard to set up at high speeds coming off the Corkscrew. Those who overrun Rainey Curve will be in the grass, but the barrier is not very far away. Turn 10: After a brief straightaway, this right-hand turn is bounded by a barrier, obscuring a clear view of traffic around the corner and blocking any shortcutting. Moderate braking is required here, although plenty of sand-infested recovery room is available to the outside of the pavement. If heading to Pit Lane, it is possible to keep up a rather fast speed to Pit Entry by purposely swinging out into the sand and passing slower cars keeping to the pavement. Turn 11: This 125-degree left-hand corner is bounded on the inside by a concrete barrier. Those who overshoot this tight turn will be in the sand to the outside of the corner, then banging the barrier beyond. Strong acceleration out of Turn 11 will allow for good passing opportunities along Pit Straight and down to the entry of Andretti Hairpin. Pit Entry: This begins to the left just before the entry to Turn 11. However, there is virtually no deceleration room before Pit Entry has its own nasty tight left-hand corner, so adequate deceleration is a MUST while still on the main circuit or else the vehicle WILL ram the barrier in Pit Lane. ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: LONG BEACH The Long Beach circuit has seen a facelift since the time that Newman-Haas Racing was released; specifically, the front straightaway has been lengthened and cars make a large circle (more or less) before returning to the 'old' part of the circuit on the back side of the venue, As a street circuit, this is fairly wide, with three-wide racing quite possible on the straightaways (but really not recommended). Pit Straight: This is not straight at all. Roughly halfway along its length, there is a significant full-throttle bend to the right, with the Start/Finish Line approximately located well before the apex of the bend. Turns 1-2: On approach, look for the small pull-off area on the left side of the track, and use this to judge your braking zone. Turn 1 will require moderate or heavy braking for this right-hand corner; this is followed immediately by the left-hand Turn 2, which can be taken at full acceleration if slowed enough from braking entering Turn 1. This is a tricky chicane nonetheless, especially in traffic. The inside of Turn 2 is grassy, so shortcutting the corner will likely result in loss of car control. Turn 3: Shortly after the initial chicane, this right-hand perpendicular corner can be shortcut somewhat, as the barriers are set back from the actual corner itself. Light or moderate braking is needed here to safely clear the corner. Swing wide to the outside on corner exit to prepare for Turn 4. Turn 4: This is similar to Turn 3, and shortcutting is again possible (although the barriers are not set nearly as far back here). With an approach from the very far left side of the course on corner entry, it is possible to speed through Turn 4 without braking, but this should probably only be attempted by experts. Turn 5: Almost immediately after Turn 4, the circuit bends to the left. This can be taken at full acceleration, although the barrier to the left makes this a semi-blind corner from driver view. Turn 6: Almost immediately after Turn 5, the circuit bends to the right. This can also be taken at full acceleration. Straightaway: This is the other long straightaway of the circuit, running down Seaside Way. There are small pull-off areas on the right and the left; use the one on the left to judge the braking zone for Turn 7. Turn 7 (Firestone Turn): This hard right-hand corner is very difficult to see on approach. It can be shortcut somewhat, but moderate braking will still be required. Even after clearing Firestone Turn, be prepared to brake even more. There is extremely little recovery room for those who miss the corner altogether, resulting in broken front wings. Turn 8: This long 130-degree left-hand decreasing-radius J- turn is very tricky, which can fool newcomers to the Long Beach venue. Carrying a lot of speed in this narrow section of the circuit will result in the car sliding into a barrier or the back end spinning; either scenario can quickly end any chances of placing high on the final roster at the end of a race here. Turn 9 (Auto Club Hairpin): This tight right-hand hairpin requires moderate braking in addition to the constant slowing through the previous J-turn. There is some swing-out room, but not much, so expect traffic to bunch up here, especially if there are cars off the lead lap. Pit Entry: Almost immediately upon exiting Auto Club Hairpin, Pit Entry is to the right. Pit Entry itself is a tight right-left chicane, so when exiting Turn 9, be especially wary of VERY slow cars preparing to enter Pit Lane. ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: MID-OHIO This world-famous racing venue hosts numerous forms of motorsport, from CART to Speed World Challenge to various motorcycle events. The track design is somewhat weird, especially since Pit Straight is one of the shortest straightaways at Mid-Ohio. Many corners have off-color strips of pavement, so these can help to mark corners on approach. Pit Straight: Pit Straight is actually rather brief; however, strong acceleration out of the final corner and drafting along Pit Straight can create great passing opportunities entering and exiting Turn 1, especially if no braking is needed. Turn 1: This semi-gentle left-hand corner can possibly be taken at full speed, especially if making use of the Pit Exit pavement as Pit Lane rejoins the main circuit. If at all possible, remain heavy on the throttle throughout Turn 1, as this will create great speed (especially if combined with drafting tactics) along the ensuing straightaway. Straightaway: This is the second-longest straightaway at Mid- Ohio. If no braking was required in Turn 1, then slower cars can be passed with ease along this straightaway. Near its end, look for the chicane pavement on the right; while it is not used, this comes directly at the end of the straightaway, so this is an excellent means to mark the braking zone for Turn 2. Turn 2: This second-gear right-hand hairpin can be trickier than the standard hairpin in part due to the tremendous speeds coming off the previous straightaway. Similarly, it is also a very important corner because it empties out onto the single longest straightaway at Mid-Ohio; therefore, it is necessary to carry as much speed as possible in the hairpin without sliding or spinning the car (and this is a difficult feat to accomplish) combined with powerful acceleration exiting the hairpin. Straightaway: This is the single longest straightaway at Mid- Ohio, so powerful acceleration out of Turn 2 is required to set up the best passing opportunities. This straightaway is about 1-2/5 times as long as the previous straightaway, with a very gentle fade to the right roughly halfway along its length. Turn 3: After the high speeds attained on the prior straightaway, this right-hand heavy-braking corner will be even trickier due to the excessive speeds (upward of 200MPH) on the previous straightaway. Turn 4: Almost immediately after Turn 3, the left-hand Turn 4 will require at least light braking to keep off the too-near barrier. There is a brief straightaway between Turns 4 and 5 which can afford some passing opportunities, so powerful acceleration out of Turn 4 is needed. Turn 5: This right-hand corner needs moderate braking to keep to the pavement. Turn 6: Almost immediately after Turn 5, this left-hand corner requires at least light braking to keep out of the kitty litter. Turns 7-8: This fast right-hand double-apex complex requires light braking to stay on the pavement. Straightaway: Not really straight at all, the course takes an uphill climb on a long right-hand fade. Turn 9: Continuing the uphill climb, this left-hand corner requires moderate braking to keep to the pavement. The course crests on corner exit, making Turn 10 even trickier. Turn 10: Just beyond the crest of the circuit, this moderate right-hand hairpin requires moderate braking to keep on the pavement. Pit Entry is a straight run after the first ninety degrees of the corner; the main course makes a full 180- degree turn. Turn 11: Just beyond Turn 10, this final left-hand corner can be taken at full speed with enough slowing through the previous hairpin. Powerful acceleration is required coming out of Turn 11, as experts will not need to brake again until Turn 2 (the tight hairpin). ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: PORTLAND RACEWAY A look at a track map reveals a few slow corners and two high-speed runs at Portland Raceway. However, a typical track map will NOT show the elevation changes, which are what make a given lap at Portland so tricky. The elevation changes create many blind corners, especially those corners just beyond the crest of a hill. Intimate knowledge of this venue is a requirement for success... or else the corner workers will be scraping the car off the barriers. Pit Straight: Pit Straight is fairly long, and has somewhat of an uphill climb, significant enough to make Turn 1 extremely dangerous and unexpected. The Start/Finish Line is approximately located at Pit Exit. Turns 1-3 (Festival Curves): This nasty chicane is practically unsighted on approach, with Turn 1 just beyond the crest of Pit Straight. The chicane itself is located in a natural dip, which makes hard braking even more of a requirement to keep from banging the barrier blocking a shortcut of Festival Curves. This right-left-right chicane will require braking through Turns 1 and 2, but Turn 3 can be taken at full throttle due to the slow speed required for the first two corners. The course returns uphill exiting Turn 2. Turns 4-5: This is a long sweeping right-hand hairpin-plus corner (at a little more than 180 degrees in total angle). While really just one corner, this is given two corner numbers in the same fashion as the banked turns of oval tracks. Light braking should be used for Turn 4, but a little beyond the first ninety degrees of the corner, the radius suddenly decreases, requiring moderate braking to keep the car on the track and out of the kitty litter. Turn 6: This left-hand 135-degree J-turn quickly follows Turn 5 and renews the circuit's uphill climb, making the corner a little trickier than it appears. The hill crests at the exit of Turn 6, but those who begin braking for Turn 7 AT the crest will likely overshoot the next corner. Turn 7: This right-hand corner immediately follows the crest at the exit of Turn 6. As such, this corner is truly only seen (especially from driver view) when it is too late to brake properly for the turn. Turn 7 is also the valley between two hills. Straightaway/Turns 8-9: Not straight at all, this long, gentle uphill climb includes a fade to the left almost immediately after Turn 7. There are two other gentle fades, this time to the right, and both of these are indicated as official corners on the course map. Along much of this straightaway/Turns 8-9, the right-side barrier rests directly or almost directly against the pavement, so it is important to not get squeezed here on the right side while trying to make passes, especially in the area of Turns 8 and 9. This high-speed section of the circuit crests around Turn 9 and dips again, with another uphill segment beginning at the left-hand fade before Turn 10. Turn 10: The slope of the climb lessens in this right-hand corner, making light or moderate braking very important. Turn 11: Almost immediately upon exiting Turn 10, the course returns downhill for the final time, making light or (more likely) moderate braking key to staying on the track as the pavement turns right again. Turn 12: This is really non-existent, but the official course map indicates that there IS a right-hand corner here. It is so slight that it is not even a fade. Pit Entry is on the right on corner exit, with both Pit Straight and Pit Lane heading up the long hill climb toward the Start/Finish Line. ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: ROAD AMERICA This popular racing venue is both insanely fast and insanely tricky, making car set-ups rather difficult to achieve the right balance between speed and cornering. Pit Straight: This is by far the longest straightaway of the circuit, leading down into a TIGHT Turn 1. Drafting tactics are extremely beneficial here to achieving low lap times and gaining valuable race positions. Pit Straight crests about halfway alongside Pit Lane, with the Start/Finish Line near the end of Pit Lane. Turn 1: This right-hand near-perpendicular corner will require moderate or (most likely) heavy braking after reaching close to 200MPH on Pit Straight. Turn 2: There really is not even a corner here, but more of a VERY slight bend to the right, but this is listed in Road America's official brochure as a corner. This actually runs over Briggs & Stratton Tunnel, which allows teams to get to and from the Paddock areas. Turn 3: After a short straightaway, this right-hand J-turn leads onto another significant straightaway. Moderate braking will likely be required for Turn 3, but powerful acceleration on exit provides for good drafting/passing opportunities along the ensuing straightaway. Straightaway (Turns 3A and 4): At approximately 85% of the length of Pit Straight, this straightaway provides invaluable opportunities for drafting and passing numerous cars. There are extremely gentle fades to the right and the left, officially marked as Turn 3A and Turn 4, respectively. Turn 5: This nasty left-hand J-turn requires moderate or (most likely) heavy braking after achieving close to 200MPH on the previous straightaway. This is the entrance to the technical portion of the circuit, where cars with high- downforce set-ups will likely benefit greatly. Turn 6: After a brief straightaway, this left-hand perpendicular corner immediately follows Toyota Bridge. Moderate braking is needed to keep to the pavement here. Turn 7 (Hurry Downs): After another brief straightaway, the course makes about a fifty-degree right-hand turn here. Light braking - if any - is used here; the key is to keep up as much speed as possible to pass slower cars on exit. Turn 8: After a slightly longer straightaway, this left-hand perpendicular corner requires moderate braking. This is a prime place to pass on braking, especially if using a high- downforce set-up. Turns 9-10 (The Carousel): This is essentially one long seemingly-neverending hairpin corner. Light braking is almost certainly required on entry, and likely throughout The Carousel; however, a good amount of speed can usually be carried here. Take care in passing slower cars on the racing line, as such passes require using the outside line, and The Carousel is just long enough to trick drivers into believing that they can carry more speed here than the laws of physics are willing to allow. Carrying strong speed out of The Carousel is key, as it is possible to power down to Canada Corner without ever tapping the brakes. Especially here in The Carousel, it is very important to remember that if the tires start squealing and producing whitish-grey smoke, the car is cornering too quickly and loss of control is quite likely if speed is not quickly reduced. Turn 11 (The Kink): This obtuse-angle right-hand corner can generally be carried at full throttle, unless there are several slower cars blocking the pavement as they race each other for position. Mind the racing line here, however, so as to not drop a wheel off the circuit. Straightaway (Kettle Bottoms, Turns 11A and 11B): This straightaway contains a few gentle fades, officially labeled as Turn 11A and Turn 11B, respectively. This is a good section of the course for drafting as the course slowly rises in elevation. Turn 12 (Canada Corner): This right-hand near-perpendicular turn requires moderate braking on entry. After the long high-speed run from The Carousel through The Kink and Kettle Bottoms, Canada Corner can be a great place to pass on braking on corner entry. Turn 13: Just beyond Canada Corner, the circuit fades to the right. While braking is not required here, the official Road America brochure lists this as a corner. Turn 13A: This IS a corner, a left-hand turn requiring light braking to keep to the optimum racing line. Turn 14: The final corner of the circuit, this right-hand J- turn leads onto the super-long Pit Straight. Strong acceleration out of Turn 14 is required as cars climb the hill toward the Start/Finish Line to pass and keep from being passed. ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: SURFERS PARADISE This Australian race venue is very scenic, located very near the Pacific Ocean; television coverage always includes plenty of shots of people swimming, surfing, or tanning on the beach. However, the circuit itself is by far the trickiest on the CART circuit. A very interesting arcade-style version of Surfers Paradise appears in the PlayStation2 game CART Fury; however, the real venue and most other game renditions are far less fun to drive. Pit Straight: Like the Long Beach venue, Pit Straight is a long gentle curve to the right, this time running along Gold Coast Highway (which does not actually run along the coast). Powerful acceleration out of Turn 11 is important to set up passing opportunities along Pit Straight. Pit Straight twice passes over Nerang River, with the actual Paddock and Main Grandstands located on Macintosh Island. Turn 1 (Honda Chicane): This tight moderate-braking left- right-left chicane is literally created in the middle of Gold Coast Highway by rumble strips surrounding patches of grass. In other words, the width of the available pavement narrows significantly from three lanes to one here; single-file is the ONLY way cars can pass through this area, so extremely care must be taken here at the start of a race and on restarts. Smart drivers WILL NOT attempt to pass on braking entering Honda Chicane. Turn 2: This is another chicane, similar to Honda Chicane, but only light braking is required. Also, the chicane itself is two lanes wide, although two-wide racing through this chicane will almost certainly result in an accident. Straightaway: The circuit continues its long gentle right- hand fade. This is a great passing zone for cars able to keep up good speed through the Turn 2 chicane. Turn 3 (Cellular One): This tight left-hand J-turn leads the cars toward the Pacific Ocean and Surfers Paradise Beach. Moderate braking is key here. Turn 4: This left-hand perpendicular corner can likely be taken with light braking only. It is important to carry as much speed as possible through Turn 4 and onto the back straightaway to set up the best possible passing opportunities. Straightaway: To the right is Surfers Paradise Beach and the Pacific Ocean... but the barriers block any views of bikini- clad sunbathers :-( The straightaway is three lanes wide, allowing for ample racing room. Turns 5-6 (Worldcom Beach Esses): This left-right chicane narrows to two lanes, and is more or less constructed within the straightaway with imported grass and rumble strips. Generally, only light braking should be needed here, unless encumbered by traffic. Straightaway: The circuit eases gently back to the right (at an angle) toward Surfers Paradise Beach again. Those able to keep good speed through the Worldcom Beach Esses can benefit in terms of passing opportunities. Turn 7 (Fosters Chicane): This is a NASTY one-lane set of consecutive chicanes built within the confines of the straightaway with imported grass and rumble strips. Moderate or heavy braking will be required to enter this segment, and only precision technical driving will allow drivers to safely clear Fosters Chicane. It may be best to treat Fosters Chicane like a slalom, such as the slalom license tests in Gran Turismo 2; in fact, the slalom tests from GT2 can provide great benefits here for those able to keep up enough speed to score a Gold Medal in one or both of those slalom tests. Straightaway: The course returns to three lanes here, so faster cars exiting Fosters Chicane should be able to quickly move around cars unable to keep up much speed in the tricky slalom-like section. Prepare for Turn 8 (Falken Tyres) when entering the area with the skyscrapers at the end of the straightaway. Turn 8 (Falken Tyres): This left-hand corner can be tricky, requiring moderate braking. It is easy to miss seeing this corner until it is too late to avoid the barriers due to the color of the barriers all seemingly running together, so take care on approach. The exit of Turn 8 enters a section of two-lane racetrack, so passing will be more difficult from here to Pit Straight. Turn 9: This left-hand turn onto Serisier Avenue requires moderate braking. Use the pedestrian bridge on approach to judge the braking zone. Turn 10: Turning right onto Hill Pde, moderate braking will be needed. The circuit is still just two lanes wide here, yet high speeds can be attained, so take extreme care in passing. Turn 11 (Honda Hairpin and Hill): There is a nasty kink to the right immediately before entering this left-hand double- apex 'hairpin' corner. Moderate braking will be needed before the nasty kink, and full acceleration is best delayed until at the second apex. Powerful acceleration is required to rocket out of Turn 11 and attain excellent passing opportunities all the way along Pit Straight to Turn 1 (Honda Chicane). ============================================== DRIVING DETAILS: TORONTO Toronto is a narrow street circuit - narrow enough that two- wide racing is difficult, thus passing is generally quite difficult. Granted, passing here is far easier than at Monaco, but it is still very important to qualify at the front of the grid here and then have patience in passing cars (especially slow backmarkers). The circuit is generally three lanes wide, but the high speeds and tight corners make passing tough nonetheless. Pit Straight: A moderate straightaway, those able to carry good speed out of the final corner and NOT hit the outside barrier protecting Pit Lane can create good passing opportunities. Pit Exit is just beyond the Start/Finish Line. Turn 1: This right-hand right-angle corner requires moderate braking on entry, then powerful acceleration on exit, as the brakes should not be used again until Dodge Corner. Turn 2: Shortly after Turn 1, the course makes a wide right- hand sweep onto the back straightaway. Braking is not needed here unless an accident occurs ahead. This makes the area between Turn 1 and Turn 3 (Dodge Corner) the fastest and longest sustained acceleration zone of the Toronto venue. Straightaway: There is a quick fade to the right about halfway along the straightaway. Cars can reach close to 200MPH before braking for Dodge Corner. Turn 3 (Dodge Corner): This nasty right-hand 135-degree J- turn requires moderate or even heavy braking after such a long sustained acceleration zone. Turn 4: Shortly after Dodge Corner, the circuit curves gently to the left. No braking should be needed here. Turn 5: Moderate braking is needed for this tight left-hand corner. The ensuing straightaway is just long enough to pass ONE car if it is going really slow. Turn 6: Only experts completely clear of traffic can power through the double-apex right-hand Turn 6 at full speed. Otherwise, light braking will be needed to keep off the barriers, as the turns here are just sharp enough to render full-throttle driving quite dangerous. Turn 7: This is really a high-speed right-hand kink; no braking is needed. Turn 8: Entering the trickiest section of the circuit, this right-hand corner requires moderate braking and single-file driving. Turn 9: Almost immediately following Turn 8, the course makes a left-hand right-angle turn which again requires single-file driving. Turn 10: This is almost a mirror image of Turn 8, with Pit Entry to the right at the entry of Turn 10. Turn 11: This is almost a mirror image of Turn 9, but slightly higher speeds can be carried here with little trouble. Powerful acceleration out of Turn 11 can pay dividends in terms of passing opportunities along Pit Straight. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/). The latest version will always be posted at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================