GRAN TURISMO 3: FORMULA GT GUIDE by Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: August 4, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: September 7, 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 Finding Car Set-ups Qualifying Circuit Tips General Tips Suggested Car Set-Ups Adjusting Car Set-Ups Sample Race Performance Contact ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz This guide is well over 25 pages in length in the Macintosh version of Word 98 using single-spaced Courier 12 font. It may not be a good idea to print this guide in its entirety. ==================================== PERMISSIONS This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, PSXCodez.com, F1Gamers, Cheatcc.com, Absolute- PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, Games Domain, gamesover.com, cheatingplanet.com, vgstrategies.com, GT3 High Speed, GT3TuneShop, hellzgate, RobsGaming.com, ps2fantasy.com, and neoseeker.com. Permission is granted to download and print one copy for personal use. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== INTRODUCTION Of all the race series in Gran Turismo 3, Formula GT is without question the most difficult set of races in Simulation Mode. In all other races and series, even when restrictions on acceptable cars exist, it is still possible to find at least one car which can outclass the competition to allow for relatively easy wins. However, with the Formula GT competition composed solely of F1 cars - by far the best cars in Gran Turismo 3 - Formula GT is ROUGH at best. With all six cars so closely matched, a player's driving skill must be at an EXTREMELY high level in order to even have a chance at winning each race - this means that proper braking zones, judicious acceleration, flawless racing lines, expert cornering, thoughtful pit strategy, and rapid reflexes are absolutely crucial to success in Formula GT. Also, the series becomes more and more difficult with each race; this is largely due to the very noticeable decrease in horsepower (and top-end speed), since there are no opportunities to change the oil during the series. This guide presents how I was able to win the Formula GT series using the F686/M (Nigel Mansell's Williams car from the 1986 F1 season). What is presented here may or may not work for others, depending on chosen car, driving style, level of concentration, positioning of the planets, etc. Also, I play with a standard controller; these suggested car set-ups may need to be modified for those using racing wheels. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== FINDING CAR SET-UPS Like other series races in Gran Turismo 3, each race can be entered as part of a series or individually. To find car set-ups, it is best to enter each race event individually, work on car set-ups, save appropriate set-ups for each circuit, and move on to the next individual race venue. Once any desired changes have been made to car set-up, they can be tested by going into Qualifying mode. This is great, because one's personal best lap time will be displayed along with the current Pole Position time, providing incentive to continue trying to attain the fastest possible lap times. If more changes need to be made, simply exiting Qualifying and returning to Settings will permit making more changes to the car set-up. Gear ratios can be adjusted to fit one's personal driving style, and this can be one of the best things to change in terms of car set-up in order to maximize car performance at a given venue. For most circuits, a fairly low gear ratio is best, providing excellent initial acceleration for the standing starts, and excellent acceleration exiting tight corners. However, for Test Course and Super Speedway, a rather high gear ratio (combined with the lowest possible settings for both Ride Height and Downforce) is best to provide a faster top-end speed; in this case, riding the walls or purposely bouncing off the walls to force cornering may be necessary at Super Speedway, especially if the tires are very worn (orange tire indicators) or practically non- existent (red tire indicators). Downforce is also extremely important in car set-ups. Raising downforce will assist with cornering, but will also lower top-end speed. Lowering downforce will increase top- end speed, but cornering will be more difficult. For F1 cars, downforce can be adjusted for both the front and rear of the car. Ride height also works in the same manner as downforce, although its effects are generally minimal in terms of cornering and top-end speed. Later in this guide, a suggested car set-up is presented for each race venue. The presented set-ups may or may not work for everyone, depending on chosen car, driving style, level of concentration, positioning of the planets, etc. For those concerned about keeping a car's mileage as low as possible, try this tip for finding car set-ups. Set-up files are saved independent of the game progress file. Therefore, use the chosen car to work on car set-up for a specific course, save the car set-ups when satisfied with it, then go back to the game's main menu (where the selection between Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode is made) and reload game progress. In this manner, the car 'will not have been used,' but a saved car set-up will still be available :-) ==================================== QUALIFYING In the original Gran Turismo, players had a tremendous incentive to qualify for races, as players could earn extra money (which was especially important when first beginning the game) by qualifying on Pole Position (P1). This was discontinued in Gran Turismo 2, and still had not been reinstated for Gran Turismo 3. For this reason, it generally is not advantageous to qualify in Gran Turismo 3, especially if using a car which outclasses the competition in a race. However, in Formula GT, qualifying is important, especially in the latter races in the series. If at all possible, it is important to qualify P1 (Pole Position), or at least on the front row, to get ahead of the pack as quickly as possible, as there is usually a traffic jam at the first corner of each venue (this is especially true at Cote d'Azur/Monaco). Qualifying begins from Pit Lane, with players forced to make an Out Lap (a.k.a. Warm-up Lap) before qualifying actually begins. At most race venues, players will exit Pit Lane in front of the competition as they prepare to qualify; at other venues, it is best to leave Pit Lane, pull aside, and wait until the other five cars have safely passed and created some distance, to ensure that players will have as little traffic as possible to try to place as high on the starting grid as possible. There is no time limit nor lap limit for qualifying in Gran Turismo 3. However, the longer a player attempts to improve lap times, the better and better and better the CPU- controlled cars perform in qualifying. Therefore, once a player qualifies on Pole Position, it is best to immediately quit qualifying to ensure that other cars cannot best that lap time; continuing to run laps to gain an even lower lap time could very well result in one or more of the CPU- controlled cars besting the player's Pole Position time. ==================================== CIRCUIT TIPS Here are some tips for driving each circuit in Formula GT: Midfield Raceway: Take extreme care with the accelerator on exiting the sharp left-hand J-turn entering the lower tunnel. Too much acceleration here will produce wheelspin, which in turn will unduly accelerate tire wear. Seattle: The long three-tiered climb can be fun for sending cars airborne, but it is very dangerous due to the sharp perpendicular right-hand turn at the top. As tire wear increases, this corner in particular becomes more and more dangerous, requiring earlier and earlier braking. Grand Valley: Grand Valley is the longest race venue in Grand Turismo 3. As such, keep a close eye on the tire indicators; if a tire shows red early in a lap, it will be a long and heart-stopping drive back to Pit Lane to change the tires. Also, be very gentle on the throttle exiting the final chicane (just after the final tunnel), or else wheelspin will cause undue acceleration of tire wear. Super Speedway: Use the walls to force the car to turn; however, countersteering will likely be necessary in order to keep the car from spinning, especially as tire wear accelerates. Rome: This is a somewhat long venue as well, so if a tire shows red early in a lap, expect a lot of trouble getting back to Pit Lane to change the tires. On the final corner, be constantly on the lookout for VERY slow cars, as they are making the hard right-hand J-turn into Pit Lane (Pit Entry is very poorly placed at this venue). Test Course: Once the lights turn green, stand on the accelerator for twenty-five continuous, non-stop laps without ever stopping to change tires. The Test Course venue is sufficiently wide and the corners sufficiently gentle that there is NO reason to bump other cars or the inside or outside barriers. Laguna Seca: The trick to a fast lap time is to safely get through the Corkscrew AND the final corner (extremely tight left-hand right-angle corner with steep rumble strips on the inside and a wide patch of kitty litter on the outside). It is perhaps best to slow greatly for both areas, and accelerate quickly when the sectors have been safely cleared. Apricot Hill: The hairpin behind the Paddock is a VERY slow corner; any speed above 60MPH is certain to cause the car to slide and/or spin. The final chicane MUST NOT BE SHORTCUTTED, as the sand on the inside of each of its tight corners will very quickly wear down the tires, thus making it extremely difficult (if not absolutely impossible) to stay ahead of the competition. Tokyo R246: The front portion of the circuit is quite wide, but the back portion is rather narrow. It is very easy to bump a wheel on a barrier or against another car while on the back portion of the circuit. Precision driving as well as patience are very important on the back portion of the Tokyo R246 venue. Cote d'Azur/Monaco: Gran Turismo 3 presents a version of the real-world Monaco circuit (used annually for the F1 Grand Prix of Monte Carlo) which is generally a little wider than in reality and in most other racing games. However, having visited Monaco, I can state that the 'feel' of the city has been captured quite well. While GT3's version of this circuit is a bit 'wide,' the circuit is still VERY narrow. There is really no place to attain high speeds, and passing is extremely difficult even in the best circumstances. Even expert drivers will certainly bump barriers and other cars rather consistently - which will increase tire wear with each bump. High downforce and ride height settings combined with shot gear ratios and A LOT of patience are required at Cote d'Azur/Monaco. If at all possible, wait to pass competitors as they go to Pit Lane. ==================================== GENERAL TIPS If this has not yet been done, players should save the default/stock set-up of the chosen vehicle before changing car set-ups. This is a good practice for ALL cars in GT3, as some races require only non-tuned vehicles. This is also a good idea in case - while fiddling with car set-ups - a player really adversely changes the car's set-up, and reverting back to the default set-up allows the player to start over. For those concerned about keeping a car's mileage as low as possible, try this tip for finding car set-ups. Set-up files are saved independently of the game progress file, which can be used to a player's advantage. Therefore, use the chosen car to work on car set-up for a specific course, save the car set-ups when satisfied with it, then go back to the game's main menu (where the selection between Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode is made) and reload game progress. In this manner, the car 'will not have been used' as far as the CPU is concerned, but a saved car set-up will still be available for use later :-) Unfortunately, F1 cars can only use Medium Tires (and are the only cars in Gran Turismo 3 which are limited to just Medium Tires). This means that the tires will usually wear out after six or seven laps. Therefore, pit strategy is very important for each race. It is necessary to try to make the tires last as long as possible between pit stops, thus resulting in fewer pit stops. In general, a pit stop will cost 20-25 seconds (shorter at Test Course, since Pit Lane is essentially non-existent; longer at Super Speedway, since Pit Lane - including Pit Entry and Pit Exit - is essentially a full lap long), so if a player can make one or two fewer pit stops than the CPU-controlled cars, that will certainly give the player a significant advantage time/distance. It is possible to use non-F1 cars in Formula GT, with the advantage that ANY tire compound can be used, including the longest- durability/lowest-grip Super-slick Tires; however, there are NO other cars in Gran Turismo 3 which are inherently as fast AND agile as the F1 cars, so success through the Formula GT series with non-F1 cars is very slim (some individual races, such as the Test Course race, can easily be won with non-F1 cars, such as the 1,000,000Cr Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version). On the Out Lap (Warm-up Lap) in qualifying, it helps to purposely drive off the pavement and/or slide the tires a bit, especially on the shorter circuits such as Super Speedway. This will raise the tire temperature faster, so that the tire indicators should show all four tires as green by the time qualifying begins; this will provide maximum tire grip. Since most players should only need one or two qualifying laps anyhow to attain Pole Position if they have followed the strategy of pre-determining car set-ups before entering the Formula GT series, tire durability is not really an issue in qualifying, so it is best to make use of this fact to attain the best possible pavement grip for qualifying. Note that the off/slide tactic is not needed at Test Course, where tires are not an issue. For each race, I have specified the laps on which I made my stops to change tires. However, this often means that the last 1-2 laps before stopping will be very harrowing, as the tires will be EXTREMELY worn. This pit strategy is largely based upon trying to either stop on the same laps as the toughest competitors, or one lap LATER than the fastest competition. Those with extensive experience driving with Super-slick Tires will likely have less difficulty with these final laps before stops, as they will already be quite familiar with driving with severely-reduced pavement grip; those without extensive experience driving with Super-slick Tires may wish to delay participating in Formula GT until they feel comfortable driving at high speeds with the lowest- grip tire compound. Just prior to entering the Formula GT series, it is important to change the oil and wash the car. Changing the oil will provide a temporary boost in horsepower (thus delaying the time at which horsepower reduction due to dirty oil begins), while washing the car should help slightly with the aerodynamic flow around the vehicle (thus assisting with acceleration and top-end speed). There is a formula which dictates when it is possible to cancel out of Formula GT and still win the bonus money and one of the bonus cars. If the player's lead is AT LEAST (10 x the remaining number of races) + 1, then the player can safely cancel out of the remaining races and still win the series. Should a player and a competitor both end the series tied for the points lead, the player WILL NOT receive the bonus money and one of the bonus cars; therefore, the 'extra' one point is a crucial advantage, one which players must take strides to achieve. This also means, however, that if only the final single point is required to guarantee winning the series, then a player need only participate in and COMPLETE one of the remaining races, as finishing in last place in Gran Turismo 3 still results in attaining a single point (this is not the case in some other racing games, such as Newman-Haas Racing). ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SUGGESTED CAR SET-UPS These are the car set-ups which worked for me in Formula GT using the F686/M. Note that only the default/stock parts were used. In most cases, I was able to qualify on Pole Position (P1). Race 1: Midfield Spring Rate Front: 14.4 kgl/mm Rear: 14.3 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 38 Downforce Front: 0.56 Rear: 1.07 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 2: Seattle Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 33 Downforce Front: 0.78 Rear: 1.34 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 3: Grand Valley Spring Rate Front: 13.5 kgl/mm Rear: 13.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 46 mm Rear: 46 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 43 Downforce Front: 0.51 Rear: 0.95 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 4: Super Speedway Spring Rate Front: 13.5 kgl/mm Rear: 13.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 45 mm Rear: 45 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 48 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 40 Downforce Front: 0.45 Rear: 0.75 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 7 TCS Controller: Level 2 VCD Controller: N/A Race 5: Rome Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 38 Downforce Front: 0.51 Rear: 0.93 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 6: Test Course Spring Rate Front: 18.2 kgl/mm Rear: 18.2 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 45 mm Rear: 45 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 55 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 56 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 45 Downforce Front: 0.45 Rear: 0.75 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 3 TCS Controller: Level 1 VCD Controller: N/A Race 7: Laguna Seca Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 50 mm Rear: 50 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 33 Downforce Front: 0.77 Rear: 1.29 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 8: Apricot Hill Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 50 mm Rear: 50 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 35 Downforce Front: 0.77 Rear: 1.29 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 9: Tokyo R246 Spring Rate Front: 16.1 kgl/mm Rear: 16.1 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 46 mm Rear: 46 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 48 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 43 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 44 Downforce Front: 0.61 Rear: 1.08 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 10: Cote d'Azur/Monaco Spring Rate Front: 16.1 kgl/mm Rear: 16.1 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 58 mm Rear: 58 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 30 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 54 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 55 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 32 Downforce Front: 0.82 Rear: 1.33 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A ==================================== ADJUSTING CAR SET-UPS Gran Turismo 3 allows for significant car customization. However, I find that there are just a few things which will provide great changes in car handling when adjusted: Brake Balance: Brake strength for each axle can be adjusted independently. I personally like strong braking ability (Level 20 or higher), to allow for late braking zones to pass other cars on corner entry. Downforce: This is the single most important item which can affect car handling in corners. Downforce on an F1 car makes use of the front and rear wings; thus, downforce can be adjusted for the front and rear of the car independently. The downforce can be raised to improve cornering ability, but this will result in lower top-end speed and slower acceleration. Conversely, lowering downforce will make cornering at high speeds more difficult (thus requiring slower cornering speeds), while improving acceleration and top-end speed. Gear Ratios: Gran Turismo 3 provides two methods for adjusting gear ratios: the auto setting (the lowermost slider on the Gear Ratios screen) and manual setting (the smaller sliders on the Gear Ratios screen). In general, using the auto setting slider is good enough; experts may prefer to fine-tune each gear using the smaller manual setting sliders above. Raising the gear ratios (moving a slider toward the right) will result in higher speeds before gear changes, and thus a higher top-end speed overall; however, acceleration will be slower. Lowering the gear ratios (moving a slider toward the left) will result in lower speeds before gear changes, and thus a lower top-end speed overall; however, this creates faster acceleration. Those using the smaller manual setting sliders can essentially mix-and-match gear ratios; perhaps the lower gears can be set for faster acceleration while the higher gears can be set for faster top-end speed. Note that Final Gear affects all the other gears in addition to how each individual gear has been set. Caution: Using too high a gear ratio in the higher gears can cause a car to have some difficulty climbing into the highest gear, and/or drop from the highest gear to the next-lowest gear very quickly. This is due to the engine not being able to keep up enough revs to climb into or stay in the highest gear. If such a high gear ratio is important, try lowering the front and rear downforce and ride height as much as possible while still attempting to maintain car control in cornering; if this does not work, then the gear ratio will need to be lowered. Ride Height: Ride height is adjustable for both the front and rear axles. Whereas downforce controls the flow of air over the car, ride height handles airflow underneath the vehicle. As with downforce, raise ride height to improve cornering at the sacrifice of acceleration and top-end speed; lower ride height to improve acceleration and top-end speed while sacrificing high-speed cornering ability. Often, making adjustments in one aspect of a car's set-up will require adjusting other aspects as well in order to maintain a good balance for car handling. Adjustments will almost certainly be necessary; the set-ups provided in this guide are simply suggestions based upon my rather-aggressive driving style, and will likely require some fine-tuning for use by others. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SAMPLE RACE PERFORMANCE Here is my sample race performance in Formula GT. For Start and Finish, I designate positions in FIA style: P1 for First Place/Pole Position, P2 for Second Place, P3 for Third Place, P4 for Fourth Place, P5 for Fifth Place, and P6 for Sixth Place. Also, points are awarded in FIA style: ten points for P1, six points for P2, four points for P3, three points for P4, two points for P5, and a single point for P6; in order to receive points, a car must finish a given race (in other words, canceling out of a race is not permitted). Race Start Finish Pit Strategy Fastest Lap ---------------- ----- ------ -------------- ----------- Midfield Raceway P1 P1 8, 16, 23 0'55.692 Seattle P1 P1 8, 16, 24, 32 1'12.806 Grand Valley P1 P1 6, 12, 17, 24 1'29.584 Super Speedway P1 P1 10, 20, 30, 40 0'26.564 Rome P1 P2 10, 19 1'06.462 Test Course* P1 P1 No stops* 1'42.108 Laguna Seca P1 P2 8, 16, 22, 28 1'03.171 Apricot Hill P1 P1 7, 14, 21 1'01.112 Tokyo R246** P3 P6 5, 10, 15, 20 1'17.868 Cote d'Azur/ *** *** *** *** Monaco*** * For the 25-lap Test Course race, it is best to NEVER make any stops to change tires. The course is so wide that there is always enough room to make passes (especially when drafting), and the banked turns are so incredibly gentle that there is to reason to worry about needing tires for braking and cornering. However, with the suggested car set-up for Test Course, the left-rear tire will wear down far faster than any of the other tires, meaning that for three or four laps, the car will constantly want to edge to the left until the other three tire indicators also show red; near-continuous countersteering will be required for the straightaways, and extra care will be needed if running high on the banking. ** Entering the race at Tokyo R246, I only needed one more point in order to guarantee winning the Formula GT series (the next closest car in the series was exactly 20 points behind entering the penultimate race of the series). Therefore, I did not bother truly trying to compete, as finishing in last place would grant me the single point I needed. This accounts for finishing in last place and making so many pit stops in comparison with the length of the race (25 laps); going six or seven laps between stops would have made driving rather difficult on the back side of the course with its many high-speed twists and corners. *** Since the series was won following the penultimate race (at Tokyo R246), I purposely canceled out of Cote d'Azur/Monaco. The series having been won, I instead intend to complete this race as an individual race at a later date. This will also allow me to participate in the Cote d'Azur/Monaco race with a car fresh from the Car Wash and with fresh oil. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTACT 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_ =======================================================================