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Track name: Star Speedway 2020 PST
Racing Sim: NASCAR Racing 2003 Season simulation.
Short Track: 0.25 Mile oval
Author:  J.R. Franklin and Project: Short Track


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

[1] HOW TO INSTALL THE TRACK
[2] GENERAL TRACK INFORMATION
[3] CREDITS
[4] WHAT WAS CHANGED FROM ORIGINAL TRACK
[4] NOTES ABOUT THIS TRACK  
[5] KNOWN ISSUES AND NOTES ABOUT TRACK
[6] TROUBLE REPORTING
[7] DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION
[8] AGREEMENT OF USE

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[1] HOW TO INSTALL THE TRACK
====================================

Unzip the zip file to:  C:\Papyrus\Nascar Racing 2003 Season\tracks\. If you have multiple installations of NR2003S on your PC, you will need to manually select the tracks directory where you wish to install this track.



[2] GENERAL TRACK INFORMATION
====================================

Type: Real track

These NR2003 day and night versions of "Star Speedway 2020 PST" are an attempt to closely resemble the track as it appeared in 2019 and 2020. It is an edited version of the original NR2003 "Star" track created by Mark Royer and Carl Sundberg in 2007.  Star Speedway 2020 PST is not, however, an exact replica of the real-life Star Speedway nor do the limits of NR2003 allow it to be.  It is my extreme pleasure on behalf of all of us at PROJECT: Short Track to offer our version of Star Speedway to the fans of NR2003.

AI: Yes.  Working pit stalls for 25 total cars (24 opponents).

Mod support: GNS and CTS (This track was not tested using any other physics other than those, however the track will still work with Cup and PTA physics.)

Track Information: 0.25 mile asphalt oval located in Epping, NH.

Banking Information:  10° in the turns and 4-5° on the straightaways.  

History and Background:
 
Charlie Elliot, Ken Smith and Russ Conway built Star Speedway in the 1960's and first opened its doors in August 1967. The Ό-mile asphalt oval quickly became internationally famous, attracting big series and legendary drivers of the New England Super Modified Racing Association (later to become the International Supermodified Association - ISMA). In addition to their own NESMRA Supermodifieds, Star also hosted a number of NEMA midget events every year and several major Late Model/Modified races. Drivers such as Dynamite Ollie Silva, Doug Henderson, Dick Batchelder, Eddie Witkum Jr., Don MacLaren, Jim Landry, Howie Brown, Paul Richardson, Eddie West, Jim Shampine, Bentley Warren and Jim Chaney regularly did battle in both weekly and special events. In the mid-1970s, Star also held several events for the Yankee All-Star Series, a short-lived modified tour that featured future NASCAR stars such as Geoffrey Bodine and regional standouts like Richie Evans. 

In 1980, the Elliot, Smith, Conway trio decided to cut back on their involvement in racing and sold Star Speedway to Bobby Webber. Webber continued what the tracks founders had started, bringing in the biggest series and stars around. After acquiring the NASCAR sanction, Star held events for the new NASCAR Modified Tour from 1985-1987 and again in 1990. Also in 1987, the track became a regular stop for the new NASCAR Busch Grand National North Series, sometimes hosting two or three events a year through the early 2000s. 

The track suffered through some "down" years in the early 2000's, but after the issues the track faced were resolved, Star reopened in 2010 in time to run the prestigious Star Classic in September and Halloween Howler in October. Since then, it has carried on under the Webber family, regaining its prominent place on the New England racing scene. In 2011, they introduced a new Small Block Modified 125 event, which would eventually be made part of the new Tri-Track Open Modified Series in 2014. The track has welcomed more than a dozen other major touring series this decade, including BGNN, WMT, MRS, TTOMS, GSPSS, PASS, ACT, ISMA, NEMA, the ProTruck Series, the NELCAR Legends Tour and the North East Mini Stock Tour.

Unfortunately, Webber Sr. passed away on January 26, 2018 after a long battle with cancer. His son Bobby Webber Jr. is the current promoter of Star Speedway, which has a packed schedule that includes many of the series mentioned above along with weekly racing for the 350 Supermodifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Six Shooters to name a few. Star has also joined the New Hampshire Short Track Racing Association (NHSTRA) along with Lee USA, Hudson, Monadnock, and Claremont speedways.  There are very few speedways that do as exceptional a job of promoting their loyal sponsors and taking care of their fans and drivers as Bobby Webber, Jr. and his staff at Star Speedway.

(Portions of the above were excerpted from the ACT Tour's official website.  www.ACTTour.com.)

 
[3] CREDITS:
====================================

1.  J.R. Franklin:  Project manager, graphic enhancement, detailing and immersion, painting of billboards, 3d object creation, editing and texturing, camera files, Lps, AI tuning and balancing, surface grip levels for multiple racing grooves, quality assurance and testing.

2.  Ben Althen:  Painting of real-life recreations of Hoosier and Modified Team Haulers and miscellaneous graphics seen in this and many PST tracks.  Quality assurance and testing.

3.  Ian Smythe:  Creation of 3d objects too numerous to mention individually.

4.  Wayne "Bowtie" Anderson:  Creation of 3d objects too numerous to mention individually.

5.  Mike Ehresman:  Miscellaneous graphics.  Quality assurance and testing.

6.  Mark Royer and Carl Sundberg:  Creators of the original NR2003 Star Speedway in 2007 which was used as the base for this updated 2020 version of Star.

7.  Beta Testing Team:  Mark Downing, Jim Windrow of STR SimRacing, Ben Althen and Mike Ehresman of GroundPounderDesigns.com.


Additional credits:

8.  John Norton (WKC Tracks):  Miscellaneous custom 3d objects.

9.  Mystical (racing.armorydigital.net):  Miscellaneous custom 3d objects.

10. Wayne Faircloth and Aaron Maynard:  Baseline Fast setups for BGN, CTS and CUP physics.

11. Michael Ciarlo of BBMC Tracks for some of the beautiful night skies.

12. Reference sources:      
    a.  Star Speedway Facebook page.
    b.  Google Earth, maps, miscellaneous images and videos.
    c.	Miscellaneous YouTube videos.
    d.  StarSpeedwayNH.com
    e.  Whelen Modified Tour Facebook page and photos
    f.  YankeeRacer.Smugmug.com
    g.  RaceDayCT.com
    h.  Mod Squad Racing Media Photography
    i.  Myracenews.smugmug.com and Myracenews Facebook page and photos.
    j.  Michael Jaworecki photography.
    K.  Racing-Reference.info
    
13. To anyone else whom we may have unintentionally neglected to mention but contributed in the creation of objects that have been borrowed from other NR2003 tracks for this project, we sincerely appreciate your contributions to NR2003.
 
We owe a debt of gratitude to each of you for your contributions, time, support and help.



[4] WHAT WAS CHANGED FROM ORIGINAL TRACK:
==============================================

Practically everything in this track was changed from the original Star Speedway 2007 version.  In total, there are over 135 change order items.  This is a partial list of the many updates and new features you will see in these new 2020 day and night versions:


    All new billboards with miscellaneous 2019-2020 sponsor graphics.
    New grandstands and 3d crowd objects throughout.
    New frontstretch tower object re-textured. 
    New turn 1 barn object, scoreboard and billboards.
    New accurate catch fencing texture.
    New tractor tire barrier objects along backstretch.
    New grass, pavement and wall textures throughout.
    New Light towers.
    New higher definition 3D tree objects and undergrowth.
    New 3D rumble strips in corners.
    New pavered "Victory Lane" area on frontstreth.
    New pit area behind turns 3 and 4 for 26 stalls. 
    New pit area populated with haulers, buildings and 3dos to resemble the real facility.
    Improved and more accurate areas and objects around outside of track.
    Dynamically lit objects.
    Enhanced and improved a.i. featuring 2 racing grooves.
    Improved night environment with PST session progressive night skies.	
    Plus many more new features too numerous to mention.



[5] KNOWN ISSUES AND NOTES ABOUT THIS TRACK
============================================= 

1.  For the best results with this track, we highly recommend you use the following:
     a.  A default papy_ai.ini
     b.  The default Fast setups for each physics (Cup, GNS and CTS) 
     c.  The opponent strength set at 97%. 
     d.  Ratings for the car sets used in testing and in developing the A.I. for this track are from the NRatings program using the MasGrafx Full Season V3.1 formulas. 

2.  WARNING.  Highly Detailed Graphics Rich Track.  In an effort to duplicate the details of the real Star Speedway facility and capture as much immersion as possible for the end user, we have poured a ton of high-resolution objects and detaling into this project.  Please be advised that this track may tax the ability of some computers. We apologize in advance if this is the case for you. If you are experiencing difficulty running this track and your frame rates are dropping below 30 FPS, we might recommend installing the 4GB Patch offered at NTCore.com (https://ntcore.com/?page_id=371).  Also consult and try implementing the Performance Guide suggestions at the BB-MC website at: http://bb-mc.co/performance-guide/

3.  Cautions.  In an effort to try to simulate the short track racing experience, we have tried to make it so the A.I. cars race tight and have occasional contact resulting in a caution.  This happens often after a start or restart, but will also happen after a longer period of racing action... so expect it.  If you've been to a short track in real life it is not uncommon to see 5 to 7 cautions in a 150 lap event.

4.  Realiging After A Caution.  As is the case with most short tracks made for NR2003, it may take a little longer for the NR2003 "Race Director in the tower" to get the AI realigned after a caution flies. This quarter mile track holds 25 cars in the starting field.  The pace car and leaders may pass some of the tail end cars when the caution first comes out.  BE PATIENT and get in line behind the car that the spotter tells you to as soon as possible.  The field will get sorted out and re-aligned properly. Sometimes during a caution, after some pitting has occured, the game will wave off the re-start if the field has not realigned and closed up properly.  Other times it'll just throw the green flag when back markers have not caught up, so be ready to go at all times.  

5.  Caution Pacing and A.I. Pitting.  When A.I. cars are pitting, the A.I. cars pacing on the track will slow suddenly and sometimes stop in the middle of the track and wait for a car rolling slowly into the pits off the apron.  Many times they will jam up entering pit road in turn 3.  They eventually sort themselves out and make it onto pit road so be patient.  These are behaviors we have observed in other short tracks of this size and configuration built under Butter's Rule.  Unfortunately, in no cases have we been able to solve these issues. So please be aware of this and give yourself plenty of room behind the car in front of you while pacing under caution. We have worked hard to minimize this and feel that by giving you this "heads up" about it you will find that it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of racing at Star Speedway 2020 PST.  

6.  Pit Stops.  We have set up this track to run a full 200 lap race on one set of tires and a full tank of fuel, because routine pit stops for gas and 4-tires are likely NOT possible without losing a lap. The same is true if you need to perform damage repairs.  This is essentially why we set the track up this way.  Otherwise, it could result in almost the entire field, with the exception of the leader, being a lap down. Purely unrealistic.  (It's too bad that NR2003 does not allow for a race to be set up to count grenn flag laps only.)  To that end, you will observe very minimal tire wear during the course of a 200 lap race.

7.  Pit Stop Frequency.  It is highly recommended that this track ONLY be run with "Pit Stop Frequency" set at 1X.  Higher Pit Stop Frequency" settings of 2X, 3X or 4X will introduce problems, cause confusion with the AI and should not ever be used.

8.  A.I. Cars Re-entering The Track From Pit Road In Turn 4. During practice and under racing conditions, be aware of cars entering the track from the pits in turn 4.  If you are aware that an A.I. car or cars have entered the pits, keep your racing line more towards the center groove to avoid contact with the A.I. cars exiting the pits.  They stay out towards the frontstetch wall when re-entering the track, but are difficult to see.

9.  Race Ending Under Caution.  If a race ends under caution, some of the AI cars will stop on the track and not make their way back to the pits. We have tried a number of things to remedy this situation, but have not found anything that will solve this.  (Chalk this up to another quirk of NR2003 short tracks under 0.5 mi. built under Butter's Rule.) 

10. Odd AI Behaviors.  AI cars will sometimes exhibit other odd behaviors that are unfortunately inherent in short tracks made for NR2003 under Butter's Rule and are less than 0.5 mi. For example, during a caution, AI cars will sometimes exit the pits and merge into an improper position in the restart alignment.  In most cases they will be put into their proper position before the green flag restart, but other times they will not and without penalty.  All of these types of things are inherent with short tracks under 0.5 mi. made for NR2003 and are likely incorrectable.  In most cases, these behaviors do not deter from the enjoyment of running these tracks.
  
11. Multiple Racing Grooves.  This track features 2 distinct racing groves just like the real Star Speedway, so race 'em low or race 'em high.  The AI will go 2 and 3 wide to provide an exceptional and exhilarating racing experience.  However, passing on this track is pretty difficult especially on the outside.  An AI car beside you (either on your outside or inside) will put up a great fight for several laps and will not relinquish the spot easily...if at all.

12. This track was not tested with Cup or PTA physics.  All testing and track.ini settings were done for the GNS and CTS physics only, which we feel are best suited for racing at Star Speedway and short track racing in general in NR2003.  (The track will run however, using Cup and PTA physics and in Arcade mode.)

13. We went to great efforts to make the A.I. and racing as realistic as possible. At the same time, we also took some liberties with the A.I. tools available in the track.ini to enhance the "fun" factor. We're confident that you'll enjoy the offline racing experience against the AI the way we have set them up for you. 


To enjoy the best results, we recommend that you use the Fast setups provided with the track and car sets containing ratings as described above. Your results and AI behavior, however, may vary depending on the type of mod used, the ratings of your specific car set, different setups used, driving style, skill level and countless other variables that make it practically impossible to predict the results that you will achieve while racing on this track.


PROJECT:  Short Track Team:
J.R. Franklin
Ben Althen
Mike Ehresman
Ian Smythe
Wayne Anderson





[6] TROUBLE REPORTING 
====================================

This track is not supported by or affiliated with Vivendi Universal Games, Sierra Online, or Papyrus Racing Games so please do not call or email.

You may use the forums at www.SimRacingDesign.com, www.NR2k3Tracks.com or the Ground Pounder Designs Facebook page for questions regarding the track.



[7] DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION 
====================================

Autorized Distributing Websites:

Ground Pounder Designs Facebook page
www.nr2k3Tracks.com
www.smiffsden.com
www.SimRacingDesign.com
www.stunodracing.net

THIS TRACK SHALL NOT BE POSTED AT ANY WEBSITES, OTHER THAN THE ONE(S) PROVIDED, WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM J.R. Franklin.


[8] AGREEMENT OF USE
=====================================

Use of this track by installation into a racing simulator constitutes agreement with this and the following statements:

1) This track shall not be sold or distributed for commercial purposes, or money exchanged for this track or any part thereof.

2) This track shall not be redistributed without written consent of the author(s) as listed above. 

3) This track cannot be modified without written consent of the author(s) as listed above.

4) This track, or any parts thereof, shall not be converted to rFactor or any other simulation without the written consent of the author(s) as listed above.

5) This track must always maintain an unmodified copy of this CREDITS_README in whatever form it is distributed.

6) This track is covered by implied intellectual property laws, in that it is the property of the author(s).

7) This track is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.



