| I started racing stock cars at the local dirt track while in high school. I got away from driving as I had to actually support myself and the budget grew tighter. Fortunately I was able to stay involved in the sport as the track announcer at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, IN and able to host several racing shows on local radio and television stations. |
It's not just a video game... the Pro Sim Racing Community involves entry fees, paying sponsors, televised
races and best of all... PRIZE MONEY!!!
races and best of all... PRIZE MONEY!!!
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| Papyrus developed the NASCAR Simulation program as a training tool for racing teams. The attitude at the time was that it was "just a game" and it didn't catch on in the professional realm of auto racing. Hurting financially, Papyrus decided to release the sim as a game. The pure realism in both graphics and physics was outstanding... it caught on like wildfire! NASCAR teams took notice and slowly discovered that this "game" actually was a viable training tool. But a marketing coup by EA Sports took the NASCAR endorsement away from Papyrus and EA released a highly inferior Nascar Heat video game. Papyrus was forced to fold, but on the way out the door, made all of their programs available (FOR FREE) on the web. Soon after, gamers, turned amateur programmers, developed their own tracks copying local speedways in their own communities. Different versions (mods) of the sim popped up that featured different series of race cars such as the Craftsman Trucks, Grand National and local Late Models. Today there are whole communities online that race everything from 1970's junkers to SCCA Style sports cars to open wheel Indy Cars with 100's of tracks available using the original Papyrus sim as a base platform. |
| AnnouncerJoe.com Garage |
PAYDAY!!!
| Joe celebrates a win in the Canadian Short Track Sim Series - Dash for Cash Night |
I was just be-bopping through the online servers, looking for something to do
when I came across a money race hosted by a Canadian short track sim
group.
I wasn't a league member but when I saw that it had a $20 entry fee, I knew
the pot had to be good!! I contacted the admin and filled out the membership
form. It turned out that I had raced with a couple of the guys so they vouched
for me and my pro license status allowed me to get right into the money
division instead of spending the usual required time "proving myself" in their
support divisions.
We got the licensing approved and PayPal transfers done just before the
server opened so I jumped into Calgary Canada's Race City without any setup
time. It's a typical 1/2 mile oval, moderate banking with sweeping corners.
The race night itinerary was pretty unique. 10 minute warm up, Qualify with
the top 6 locking into the feature. Everyone else had to fight their way into
the 24 car field through heat races and a last chance race. The feature was
a true "Dash" format. 30 laps with no cautions - top five payout. This group
runs a truly no-BS night. All racing would be done within an hour with a lot of
cash going out!!!
I loaded the stock setups and tweaked them during the 10 minute warm up.
Thirty two cars showed up and I was pretty happy with an 8th place qualifying
time.
I was scheduled in the second qualifying heat and made a true rookie mistake
by forgetting to load my new setup. I figured that out as my car skated
through the first corner like it was on ice. I was able to maintain fourth and
trailed the top three by a good half of the straightaway, during the first 5 laps.
When on the sixth and final lap came up, I saw a cloud of smoke in turn three,
dove low and took the WIN! Replays showed that the second place car tried a
dive bomb pass, made contact and took all three of the leaders to the wall.
Hey - a win is a win!
With my spot in the feature guaranteed, I worked on my setup some more
while watching the final heats.
The feature was actually pretty uneventful. I started in the 8th spot but
jumped to third by the end of the 6th lap. Even though this is a "Dash" setup
for a lot of cash, the judges and drivers run a very clean program... but it CAN
get physical (Look at the left rear of my car) in typical short track fashion.
Some back of the pack spins and crashes strung the field out. We ran a six
car lead pack for the first 20 laps when we started to get really boggled up in
the lapped traffic.
I didn't know how it happened at the time, but after lap 26 I emerged from a
pack of cars in first place! (After watching the replay, I realized that the top
two cars got caught behind a four car log jam that was fighting for 10th.) I
watched the action in my rear view mirror until lap 28 when the second place
car popped past the pack, but it was too late. I had a good 2.5 second lead
which is an eternity in short track racing.
White flag... Checkered Flag!! Check the PayPal account ;-)
Good group of guys runs the Dash for Cash night once a month as a fund
raiser for their server fees. I've been told that I HAVE to show up next month
so they can wreck me and get the money back to the North side of the
border... sounds like a good time!
when I came across a money race hosted by a Canadian short track sim
group.
I wasn't a league member but when I saw that it had a $20 entry fee, I knew
the pot had to be good!! I contacted the admin and filled out the membership
form. It turned out that I had raced with a couple of the guys so they vouched
for me and my pro license status allowed me to get right into the money
division instead of spending the usual required time "proving myself" in their
support divisions.
We got the licensing approved and PayPal transfers done just before the
server opened so I jumped into Calgary Canada's Race City without any setup
time. It's a typical 1/2 mile oval, moderate banking with sweeping corners.
The race night itinerary was pretty unique. 10 minute warm up, Qualify with
the top 6 locking into the feature. Everyone else had to fight their way into
the 24 car field through heat races and a last chance race. The feature was
a true "Dash" format. 30 laps with no cautions - top five payout. This group
runs a truly no-BS night. All racing would be done within an hour with a lot of
cash going out!!!
I loaded the stock setups and tweaked them during the 10 minute warm up.
Thirty two cars showed up and I was pretty happy with an 8th place qualifying
time.
I was scheduled in the second qualifying heat and made a true rookie mistake
by forgetting to load my new setup. I figured that out as my car skated
through the first corner like it was on ice. I was able to maintain fourth and
trailed the top three by a good half of the straightaway, during the first 5 laps.
When on the sixth and final lap came up, I saw a cloud of smoke in turn three,
dove low and took the WIN! Replays showed that the second place car tried a
dive bomb pass, made contact and took all three of the leaders to the wall.
Hey - a win is a win!
With my spot in the feature guaranteed, I worked on my setup some more
while watching the final heats.
The feature was actually pretty uneventful. I started in the 8th spot but
jumped to third by the end of the 6th lap. Even though this is a "Dash" setup
for a lot of cash, the judges and drivers run a very clean program... but it CAN
get physical (Look at the left rear of my car) in typical short track fashion.
Some back of the pack spins and crashes strung the field out. We ran a six
car lead pack for the first 20 laps when we started to get really boggled up in
the lapped traffic.
I didn't know how it happened at the time, but after lap 26 I emerged from a
pack of cars in first place! (After watching the replay, I realized that the top
two cars got caught behind a four car log jam that was fighting for 10th.) I
watched the action in my rear view mirror until lap 28 when the second place
car popped past the pack, but it was too late. I had a good 2.5 second lead
which is an eternity in short track racing.
White flag... Checkered Flag!! Check the PayPal account ;-)
Good group of guys runs the Dash for Cash night once a month as a fund
raiser for their server fees. I've been told that I HAVE to show up next month
so they can wreck me and get the money back to the North side of the
border... sounds like a good time!