A NAR Winter NASCAR league?

aawil · Post by **aawil** » 11 Dec 2004, 04:50

Ok here's a list of tracks. We can add to this list or take away some if you like. Thoughts, suggestions are always welcome. In no specific order:

Bristol

Lowes
Texas
Richmond
Martinsville
Michigan
Watkins Glen
Infineon
Daytona* We really need a good turnout to make a restricter plate race worthwhile.

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 11 Dec 2004, 05:00

Seems like youve got a good list there Aaron, and I love the smiley face next to Bristol

.

Just a reminder: I'm always available to host if you need, it would be my pleasure.

CART

aawil · Post by **aawil** » 11 Dec 2004, 05:05

Oh cart I lost you earlier for some reason. I couldn't get back in. Just wanted to let you know I didn't bail on purpose. What setup where you using anyway? I'm not use to not having anti lock brakes in N2003.

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 11 Dec 2004, 05:23

Yeah sorry Aaron it was my fault. I alt+tab'd the game to search online for a place to buy a used Act Labs shifter as they are discontinued. Then I tried to get back in the game and it froze up. So don't worry, theres nothing wrong with the server. Anyway, does anyone know where to buy a used act labs shifter? I saw 2 on ebay, buy they looked pretty abused and they are selling for more than they were a few months ago straight from the factory.

Cya soon,

CART

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 11 Dec 2004, 05:54

Also, does anyone have experience with buying from Ebay and paying with PayPal? From what I've read it seems pretty safe and secure, but then again its my ass if I tell my parents its safe, we sign up, and suddenly there is $25,000 charged to the credit card.

The reason I ask is there is a shifter on Ebay that ends tomorrow at about 4pm Eastern, and I was thinking of registering with PayPal tomorrow morning and then bidding on it. I would have my parents pay by check but that would take 10 business days to clear and Christmass would be over, but then again its probably safer.

Also, how exactly does this Ebay thing work? I read the tutorial online about bidding, that part seems easy, buy what happens after that? Do I have to call the seller and arrange shipping or is it all done automatically?

Thanks in advance,

CART

Steve · Post by **Steve** » 11 Dec 2004, 05:59

usually you arrange the shipping options via email cart, i bought a processor off of there a few months ago, was smooth as silk, BUT, i paid by money order, so i had to mail the payment first

aawil · Post by **aawil** » 11 Dec 2004, 06:06

I think it takes a few days to setup a paypal account. These days with paypal it's alot easier than having to send a money order or check back just a few years ago. Since ebay bought paypal the both of them are integrated so if you win the item and have your paypal setup you click on the pay button and it brings up paypal. Be careful the default pay method will always be a bank account. So anytime you buy something you have to click the funding options if you want to use a credit card. BTW I was just looking the other day for shifters. Makes me wish I bought a shifter and 3 pedal setup before they discontinued them.

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 11 Dec 2004, 07:07

Not that long ago, you could still buy refurb units (pedals and shifter) from the Act-Labs site but it looks like you can't anymore...

Not meaning to taunt any of you, but using the shifter in a game like NR2003 is just so great. It's not very good for F1-type races but for stock cars, it just increases so much the immersion factor. I find I'm not using my clutch pedal much though, mostly in "emergency" situations to help save the day... But even if there was no clutch pedal, the Act-Labs Performance Pedals just have a so good feeling.

Finally, about the network settings, I just re-read the readme and it looks like NR2003 only uses UDP and the 32766-32809 range is sufficient. Sorry for any confusion I may have created (I had written my previous post from memory).

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 14 Dec 2004, 02:18

Hey guys good news, I just got a Act Labs Force RS wheel, shifter, and Performance pedals from Ebay. I paid much more than I wanted to, but you just get caught up in the moment. I think my winning bid was in with 5 seconds left. I'll probably sell the pedals back and get some money, because all I really wanted was the shifter. But hey, I can always use a spare wheel, right? My current one is going on 4 years now, but still never had a problem. I paid right after and got a reciept through paypal, but now Ebay keeps telling me to pay, I just hope it takes some time to update or something, I don't want to go through the headache of payment problems.

Anyway, I hope to have it pretty soon, maybe by the end of the week or begining of next week.

See you guys soon,

CART

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 14 Dec 2004, 03:16

Blasphemy! How can you throw those pedals away???!!!!

If you got the RS Shifter (as opposed to the Universal Shifter (or was it called USB Shifter?) ), you can still get the 2-in-1 USB adapter from Act-Labs and use both the Perf. Pedals and your shifter with your current wheel (in games that support more than 1 controller, which F1C and NR2003 do) if you want. Jut make sure you stock on gas pedal springs...

Try those pedals before throwing them away...

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 14 Dec 2004, 04:44

Hehe Bilbo I've already got a pair of the Performance Pedals, thats the only reason I'd ever even consider selling them. I might even keep them as a spair, just in case. Also, even if it is an RS Shifter I've already got the cartridge to convert it to USB, and the set I just ordered comes with one too. It looks to be in pretty good shape, I just hope it all arrives the same way it looks in the pictures. At least the guy I bought it from has all positive feedback and has already responded to my E-mails, he said he'd ship it tomorrow morning, so maybe I'll have it by the end of the week, YAY!!

CART

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 14 Dec 2004, 05:47

Whew. Personnally, I've got two set of Perf. Pedals, the idea being that when a spring breaks, I just switch sets and fix it later. Of course, you do have to remember to fix it later...

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 14 Dec 2004, 20:52

Hey Bilbo you have the Force RS wheel, correct? What do you think of it?

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 15 Dec 2004, 01:57

I like it very much, but I can't really compare it to anything else as it's the only FF wheel I have tried, besides the one by Microsoft which I wouldn't touch in fear of breaking it. The ForceRS has a nice, satisfying solid feeling which makes you feel it's not some cheapo wheel about to break. It does feel a bit "notchy" when you move the wheel but I have grown to like that as a kind of tactile feedback for how much I have turned the wheel, which is more useful in NR2003 on SS like Daytona where you don't move the steering that much compared to F1. The clamping mechanism is very solid and stable, it has never come loose since I had it. The FF is very strong, I have the "master" power control down to 50% and sometimes put it lower in game settings (depends on the game). You could probably break an arm (or develop big muscles) by using this wheel at 100% power (even my 19" CRT monitor was jumping on my desk when first tried it!). If I remember correctly, it had the strongest FF motor on the market.

The only problem I had in about 3 years with the wheel is some buttons which stopped working last summer depending on the wheel position. I decided to replace the whole wheel (not the console part) rather than fix the wiring because I did not have the time to do it, it gave me more spare parts for cheaper than buying a few buttons separately and it came pretty much pre-assembled (it's already quite a hassle just to open the console and take out the old wheel!).

In short, I like my ForceRS very much. I would recommend you try it before giving/selling yours away, especially if you don't trust your current wheel to last much longer. They (litterally) don't do wheels like that anymore...

Ruben Miranda · Post by **Ruben Miranda** » 20 Dec 2004, 17:58

Hello All
I finaliy received this game have it installed did a couple of laps.
So the ? is when and where are we raceing.

Hitman

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 20 Dec 2004, 18:35

Good question. I was thinking sometime after the new year, so we have some time off. How about Jan 2? Or maybe Jan 9, but thats a bit late. Since its oval racing its pretty simple to learn the track, so I bet we could race every Sunday. Also, would we fixed or non-fixed sets? I think non-fixed is better, but thats just my opinion. I bet with such a limited time for practicing we would all be pretty close anyway, but we could twaek the sets a bit to suit our styles. I would also reccomend the 'hardcore" mode of the game, enforcing no aids (except for clutch for those without a clutch pedal

) and the cockpit view. Just so everyone knows I'm available to host just like the F1 season, so we should have a decent server with the improved Papyrus netode.

Let me know what you think,

CART

aawil · Post by **aawil** » 20 Dec 2004, 18:48

I was going to post last night about a first race I'm glad you guys brought it up. Jan 2 seems like a good starting point. I seem to be having a problem locking up the brakes in this game. I should have done that squash ball mod probably. Open or fixed doesn't matter to me but should be decided on soon.

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 20 Dec 2004, 19:11

Yeah I had the same problem with the brakes Aaron. I would push down 1/4 of the way and the brakes would lock. then I reformatted to speed up the computer, and when I reinstalled the game it worked fine. Maybe if you try reassigning the controls it might help. Anyway, I think Jan. 2 and open setups is good. Winter vacation starts on Thursday for me and lasts until Jan 2, so I'll be able to have practice servers open pretty much every night. Also, maybe we could add North Carolina to the tracks, I was there last night and it basically seems like a smaller Texas, it was pretty cool.

Oh and Aaron, if you want I think you should get a schedule up with the tracks in order, if not then I can, but I don't know the tracks that well.

Thanks, cya soon.

CART

Ruben Miranda · Post by **Ruben Miranda** » 20 Dec 2004, 20:19

Hello
It all sounds good to me
I prefer not fixed set up but I will go either way.
Sunday the 2nd is perfect.
Time wise early afternoon or Evening works for me.

Cu on the Track very soon
Hitman

CART Rulz · Post by **CART Rulz** » 20 Dec 2004, 20:29

Yeah how about the same time that we had during the season, does 8pm Eastern work for everyone?

No Aids Racing

A NAR Winter NASCAR league?

Well

Sounds good