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Posts Tagged ‘Race’

Its hot. You can see the heat rising off the asphalt at the Walt Disney World Disney Speedway. Big Break Disney Golf contestant Mike Perez (brother of PGA TOUR pro Pat Perez) tees up a ball on a straightaway in the middle of the track. Over his shoulder is a stock car revving its engine, the driver poised to put the pedal to the metal and let 600 horsepower loose. Perez also is poised, ready to hit a stinger shot that will catapult his golf ball low and fast. The starting flag is waived and the race begins. Over 300 yards, the car and the ball race toward the finish line the ball with the early lead but the car gaining fast. Which one crosses the finish line first will be revealed in a feature video shot and produced in high def.

One of the reasons why race car drivers have celebrity status, because It takes a very brave heart to risk his neck and bones ever so often, an extremely high-powered soaped up jalopy just for the thrill of it in a car rally and be a part of racing team . Nevertheless, all those people who are interested in race car driving can tell you all about the rush of adrenaline, which flows through the body whenever they see a number of beautiful and extremely powerful racecars going down a racing track in a car rally at speeds of anywhere between 150 miles to more, in just a few seconds. Apart from that, you may be fortunate enough to see a number of racecars of various racing team racing in steep mountain roads, all trying to get past each other in narrow tracks in a car rally. The main point is get to the front, and stay there. And that is the reason is why becoming a member of racing team in a car rally as a race car driver is definitely not everybody’s cup of tea.

Nevertheless, there are people like Michael Schumacher, who have been members of the racecar circuit and have still managed to survive the rigors of high-powered racecar driving. And then there are still hundreds of those people who are so interested in racecar driving, in a car rally that they want to know everything about becoming a race car driver for NASCAR.

Many of them are beguiled by the glamour of becoming a race car driver. Nevertheless, they have to understand that a race car driver has to be on the tracks continuously, either practicing or taking part in tournaments. Becoming a race car driver is a job option and career, which is open to only a limited few, and that is because they have the aptitude as well as the genius to have that cutting edge in racecar driving competitions in a car rally.

Becoming a race car driver is not a piece of cake; it is going to involve a lot of struggle in the initial couple of years, and it is only when you start winning constantly, that you are going to attract plenty of sponsors, to invest some money in you. The results can only be seen by constant wins, because racecar driving does not come in under the cheap sports category. This is also considered to be one of the most dangerous and cutthroat competitive sports in the world. The competition for getting to the topmost position is going to keep you on your toes. 24 x 7 with extremely tough training conditions, because you cannot afford to slack off, even for a couple of days. You may start with smaller circuits, going on to bigger circuits as you get lucky and you start winning the racecar competitions. Best of luck, but it is going to be a hard slog ahead!

More motorsport madness on the 360.

Racing titles are not in short supply for the Xbox 360. Forza Motorsport 2, Race Driver GriD, Sega Rally, Colin McRae DiRT, Project Gotham Racing, Ridge Racer 6, Test Drive Unlimited, Pure, Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Undercover are all available for you to enjoy on your favorite console.

The majority of those titles are arcade orientated, meaning that realism is thrown out the window for fantasy racing. Race Pro ventures in the opposite direction, a direction that is very tricky to master and has only been perfected by Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo on console.

Race Pro has some big shoes to fill. Developing a racer to merge with other racer simulation titles means that comparisons are drawn on anything that isn’t exactly correct. Cars must handle like they do in real life and the visual details, with the power of current consoles, are scrutinized if not entirely accurate. Seeing that the developers make a success of those bits, customization of gear ratios, tire compounds and engine modification, to name a few, will be next on the list for simulation critics to loathe or admire. Race Pro is not exactly a master of all the above-mentioned simulation criteria, but it is a Jack-of-all-trades.

If you’re anything like us, you will skip the Single Race Mode and jump right into the more beefy Career Mode. Career Mode follows a similar route to previous Toca Touring Car racers, where you have to buy a contract to become a race driver and earn credits to buy other contracts, upgrading the level of cars you race as you make your way up the ladder.

Once you have bought your first contract (which forces you to drive a Mini Cooper), it is on to the racetrack. The lights go out, you fly past all competitors from your grid position (right at the back), and leave them in your dust… well, until the first corner approaches. Inevitably you will hit your brakes too late, drive off the road and go over the gravel, ending up in last place for the remainder of the race. It is very, very difficult, simply because it’s so realistic. Has Race Pro gone a bit far with simulation? Is it actually still a game?

After the first corner we were ready to pack the game up and call it a day. Arcade racer games have made us far too lazy to practice and get good at anything. We want to be spoon-fed. But we gritted our teeth and selected the restart option. Having dealt with the blow to our egos, we tackled the game.

Once the event, comprising three races, has been concluded you are awarded credits to purchase your next contract. There are 13 real-life tracks to race on including Monza and Laguna Seca, a stunning 350 car models – ranging from Audis to Formula 3000 vehicles – and 12-player (online or systemlink) multiplayer games. Like all simulations, everything is done realistically, but unfortunately the visual department fails miserably.

When comparing Race Pro to Forza Motorsport 2, it seems that Race Pro missed an event in the genre that took place two years ago. Car models look decent but not great, the tracks are realistic but have been done before, and the handling is respectable but not perfect – as we now expect from a simulation. Everything is in place, but it lacks currency – it’s all old news.

Deep inside this package, there is a game that wants to shine, but it wants you to suffer before you enjoy it, and is similar to F-Zero GX when it comes to the difficulty curve. Race Pro is a respectable add-on to your collection of racers and it’s probably a good idea to pick this up if you have been dying for another simulation.