others have fanned since the late 20th century in sims like GPL and NASCAR
Racing 2003. He has "created" three N2003 tracks--Riverside, Bridgehampton,
and Lime Rock; two of which bear no resemblance whatsoever to the real
thing. I've already commented on his version of Bridgehampton (which has
the main straight running downhill instead of uphill) and a preliminary
version of Lime Rock (which looks about as much like the famous track in NW
Connecticut as Bullrun, Papy's famously fantastic road circuit). His
version of Riverside seems to be a retexturing of the track that I helped
Papy design for NASCAR Legends, albeit ringed with Hollywood-ish mountains
that make it look more like it's set in Shangri-La.
Now he's released two "new" versions of Lime Rock, which seem to be loosely
based on the painstaking research done by Brent Adams for two GPL tracks:
Brent's dead accurate renditions of the real-world venues (with and without
the bus-stop chicane), and the so-called "Mountain Circuit," planned in the
Fifties but never built, which would have extended the track to almost 3
miles. Olbuck proclaimed he never bothered to look at Lou Magyar's
brilliant recreation of Bridgehampton (which was two years in the making
thanks to Lou's obsessive committment to realism) because he, Olbuck, didn't
want to merely "clone" someone else's work.
Or so he said.
This time, he's shamelessly "borrowed" Adams' research for the Mountain
Circuit (down to copying elements like Hine Hairpin and Smith's
Straight--named after some of us beta testers--and even Beagle's Nest, the
name of Brent's dog!). Needless to say, Adams isn't even mentioned in the
readme.
Don't be fooled! There is nothing realistic about these tracks. Everybody
gushes over how fabulous they are...probably because the grip levels are
absurdly high, so you look like a hero (actually, I think he inadvertantly
reversed the OWR and PTA values), but they aren't anywhere close to the
truth as I know it...and I've had extensive RW experience at all three
tracks. Olbuck has a knack for making fantasy tracks that exhibit exemplary
levels of craftsmanship...and hugely enjoyable driveability...but they are
much more "arcade" than "simulation."
Let the flames begin!
--Steve