European taking on NASCAR-ovals and NR2003

Following Dave Symonds-post about the GN63-series over at Delta Simracing, I reinstalled NR2003 on my PC and gave oval-racing a first real shot. NR2003 had previously mainly served for some odd laps with the GTP-mod and the Ferrari P330-mod.

I have for now only been running the Cup-cars that came shipped with NR2003 out of the box.

Addictive stuff... I admit. And I already fully agree with those who claim that Nascar is, in Europe, probably one of the most underrated forms of motorsport.

However addictive it may be, it is also very different from racing road tracks and, before going online, I need to get used to oval racing. Elsewise, it may well end up in a lot of frustration for other racers as well as myself.

Luckily, NR2003 has good AI and so racing it offline seems a real option.

I have now started a 2003-season offline with AI-strength at 70% and racelength 10%. The idea is to gradually increase that to 100% and 100% and then do a full offline season. If I manage to survive that, I should be ready for some online oval racing.

Along the way, I'm discovering NR2003. As we have many amigo's from over the Atlantic here now, I thought I might raise my questions here.

And I already have a first question: my NR2003 is patched up to the 1.2.0.1-version. On the Sierra Help-page, there is also a 1.2.0.4-patch listed under NR2003. I downloaded this zip-file and unzipped it but am under the impression that this is actually a patch for Nascar Racing 3 and have therefore not yet installed it. Is this correct?

Thanks,

Timo

I've never had a 1.2.0.4 patch on NR2003, only ever up to 1.2.0.1.

NR2003 is probably one of my favourite sims, more so than rFactor and GPL even. Great AI and the GTP mod is great, but the extent of my oval racing is on short tracks with late models and modifieds. Great fun though, but speedways aren't for me

Do yourself a favor and don't race with the AI at 70%, in fact don't drop them below 90% unless really necessary. With the default game setups you should be able to follow the pack at 90% with some practice. The reason you shouldn't, is because you will learn the wrong things. At ovals you need loads of turn entry speed with smoothness and not scrubbing to be fast, and it has to become your second nature because once in traffic it is easy to lose references. With the AI at 70% you will be programming your brain to enter the turns wrong because you will have enough grip to choose different lines and will try to go round the AI. It won't work like that on a real race with humans or with AI in reasonably hard settings and it will be harder to unlearn and learn again the correct thing to do. 

Here I wrote down some tips for our CART series, most of it is also good for NR2003:

http://historicsimracing.123.st/t2698-oval-racing-tips-advices-technical

If anyone sets-up an online race with NR2003 let me know, and I will try to be there

At the same time don't go much over 100% AI strength because they then begin to over run the corners and have accidents more common as they become more aggressive

Thanks for the info guys.

Is there a specific reason why I can't seem to find any grip at Atlanta? Hate that place already.

Timo