SimRacing 101

SIMRACING 101
The ability to compete against other real drivers in top level motorsports such as NASCAR is beyond
the reach of most people. In the real world, racing is an expensive and dangerous sport in which to
participate, races are organized months in advance and drivers must travel almost constantly in order
to complete the season schedule.
Conversely, in NASCAR SimRacing, racing against other drivers is affordable and without risk, races
can be entered at any time and ‘SimRacers’ all over the world are able to compete against each other
from the convenience of their own homes. In NASCAR SimRacing it is possible for 43 ‘SimRacers’ to
compete against one another simultaneously, just as 43 real drivers compete against one another
simultaneously in every real life NEXTEL Cup Series race.
All you need is a registered copy of NASCAR SimRacing and your computer configured so that it is
connected to the internet via a high speed/broadband internet service or recognized as part of the
Local Area Network that other players may be connected to.
If you’re new to the world of ‘SimRacing’ there has never been a better time to learn all about and
become part of the ‘SimRacing’ community.
JOINING A RACE
The most common way to get into races with other ‘SimRacers’ is online via the Internet as described
in the steps below.
1. Start your computer and establish a connection to the internet via a high speed/broadband
internet service.
2. If you have not done so already, complete the Electronic Registration process to register NASCAR
SimRacing. You may start the Electronic Registration process at any time by selecting Start - All
Programs - EA SPORTS - NASCAR SimRacing - Electronic Registration. Keep a note of the EA
Member Account username and password that you use to register NASCAR SimRacing as you
will need these to complete step 5. below.
3. Start NASCAR SimRacing.
4. Select MULTIPLAYER.
5. Select Online, enter the username and password for the EA Member account that you used to
register NASCAR SimRacing and select OK. After a short connection process, you will arrive at
the LOBBY.
6. Select RACE SERVERS. A list of races will now be displayed in accordance to the LIST RACES
FOR SERIES filter located in the header area. Before you join a race, take some time to
familiarize yourself with the RACE SERVERS screen as described below.
RACE SERVER NAME
This column displays the name for each active race. Next to the RACE SERVER NAME, icons
may be displayed to indicate specific properties for each race as per the table below.
Race exists on a dedicated server.
Race is password protected.
Race allows VOIP.
Race allows Spectators.
TRACK
This column displays the name of the track selected for each race.
NO. PLAYERS
This column displays the no. players that have joined the race and the maximum no. allowed.
ACT./MAX PING
This column displays your ping to the race (speed in milliseconds that your computer is able to
send data to and receive data back another computer) and the maximum ping selected by the
server with which players are allowed to join the race.
RANK
This column displays the minimum RANK required in order to join a race.
DIFFICULTY
This column indicates the difficulty level selected for the race.
OTHER RACE SERVER LIST DETAILS
You may select any of the headers described above so as to sort the list of race servers by your
preferred criteria.
All races displayed in White text are available for you to join.
All races displayed in Red text are closed to you at the current time of the last refresh. Races may
be closed for any of the reasons listed below:
The race may be in the Qualify or Race sessions. You can only join a race when it is in a
Practice or Happy Hour session.
The maximum NO. PLAYERS specified have already joined. An exclamation mark (!) will be
displayed next to the NO. PLAYERS details for the race in this instance.
Your PING is greater than the MAX PING allowed. An exclamation mark (!) will be displayed
next to the PING details for the race in this instance.
Your RANK is lower then that required. An exclamation mark (!) will be displayed next to the
RANK details for the race in this instance.
7. Select any race without a password that has 1 or more or more players already joined and is
available for you to join.
8. Select JOIN RACE located at the lower right corner of the footer area.
9. The JOIN RACE screen will now be displayed and will show you a summary of all the settings for
the race you are about to join. Select CONTINUE.
10. The SELECT CAR screen will now be displayed. Select CONTINUE.
11. The track/race will be loaded and after this you will arrive at the RACE WEEKEND screen. Before
you select DRIVE or any other option, note that the MULTIPLAYER version of the RACE
WEEKEND screen includes important functions such as chat and voting in the case that the race
is hosted on a dedicated server as described below.
RACE WEEKEND - CHAT
CHAT
RACE WEEKEND - ADV. CHAT
The CHAT tab enables you to chat with other players in the race while watching them on track. As
you type, your message will appear in the lower area of the screen. Pressing Enter on the
keyboard will send your message to all players in the race at the time of pressing the key.
ADV. CHAT
The ADV. CHAT tab allows you to chat to other players and also to chat to individual players. To
send messages to all players, type your message and press Enter exactly as described above for
the CHAT screen. To send a message to an individual player (whisper), you must select their
name in the window to the right using the Right Mouse Button. This will popup a small menu
allowing you to select the Whisper action with the Left Mouse Button. After selecting Whisper, you
must type your message as usual and then press enter to send it to the selected player. Other
actions such as Mute, Boot and Ban are also available by selecting a player name in the right
hand window with the R.M.B.
If the race you have joined is hosted on a dedicated server, you will also find buttons named
PROPOSE NEXT SESSION and PROPOSE NEXT TRACK/RACE. These buttons enable you to
propose the action indicated and prompt other players to use the VOTE YES and VOTE NO
buttons to support or reject your proposal. All proposed actions require 50% of the players in the
game to support the action before the action is accepted.
Whenever you have joined a race created on a dedicated server, players must use the voting
system to advance the session and/or track.
In the event that you have joined a game that is not hosted on a dedicated server, the person that
created the game (the host) controls the actions of advancing the session and/or track.
The process for joining a race via a LAN connection is very similar to that described above. To join a
LAN game, start at step 3. complete step 4. and then select LAN as opposed to Online at step 5. You
will immediately be taken to the LOBBY and RACE SERVERS list showing all games available on the
LAN to which you are connected.
CREATING A RACE
After joining a few races, or in the case that a race does not exist that you wish to join, you may
decide that you want to create your own race as described below.
1. Start your computer and establish a connection to the internet via a high speed/broadband
internet service.
2. If you have not done so already, complete the Electronic Registration process to register NASCAR
SimRacing. You may start the Electronic Registration process at any time by selecting Start - All
Programs - EA SPORTS - NASCAR SimRacing - Electronic Registration. Keep a note of the EA
Member Account username and password that you used to register NASCAR SimRacing as you
will need these to complete step 5. below.
3. Start NASCAR SimRacing.
4. Select MULTIPLAYER.
5. Select Online,enter the username and password for the EA Member account that you used to
register NASCAR SimRacing and select OK. After a short connection process, you will arrive at
the LOBBY.
6. Select RACE SERVERS. A list of races will now be displayed in accordance to the LIST RACES
FOR SERIES filter located in the header area.
7. Select CREATE RACE from the footer area of the screen to advance to the CREATE RACE
screen.
RACE NAME
The name by which your race server will be identified within the RACE SERVERS list.
PASSWORD
Enter a password to restrict access to your race server.
CONNECTION TYPE (ISDN, Cable/DSL 128 kbit/s upload, Cable/DSL 256 kbit/s upload or
LAN)
MAX NO. USERS
This option allows you to set the maximum number of players (including spectators) allowed to
join your game.
DUPLICATE VEHICLES (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability for players to join your dedicated server races using
the same car/truck.
COMPUTER DRIVERS (Allowed or Disallowed)
SPECTATORS (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability for players to join your dedicated server races as
spectators.
V.O.I.P. (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability of players that have joined your dedicated server races
to communicate via voice over i.p.
MIN RANK (0-100)
Set the minimum rank that players must have in order to be allowed to join your dedicated race
server.
MAX PING (100-1000)
Set the maximum ping that players are allowed to have in order to be allowed to join your
dedicated race server.
DIFFICULTY (Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Professional or Veteran)
STEERING HELP (Allowed or Disallowed)
BRAKING HELP (Allowed or Disallowed)
STABILITY CONTROL (Allowed or Disallowed)
SPIN RECOVERY (Allowed or Disallowed)
INVULNERABILITY (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO CLUTCH (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO SHIFTING (Allowed or Disallowed)
TRACTION CONTROL (Allowed or Disallowed)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO PACE LAP (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO PIT (Allowed or Disallowed)
8. Enter a name for your race server, set all the options as desired and select CONTINUE to
advance to the SELECT CAR screen.
9. Select your car and select CONTINUE to advance to the SELECT TRACK/RACE screen.
10. Select a track by selecting an icon on the left. Use the RULES tab to select a specific race and to
change other options regarding your race and then select CONTINUE to load the track/race and
advance to the RACE WEEKEND screen.
The process for joining a race via a LAN connection is very similar to that described above. To join a
LAN game, start at step 3. complete step 4. and then select LAN as opposed to Online at step 5. You
will immediately be taken to the LOBBY and RACE SERVERS list showing all games available on the
LAN to which you are connected. Continue at step 7.
CREATING RACES ON A DEDICATED RACE SERVER
NASCAR SimRacing includes a program allowing you to create races on a separate computer to that
on which you will actually drive. A spare computer used solely to create races using the ‘NASCAR
SimRacing Dedicated.exe’ program is referred to herein as a dedicated race server.
Dedicated race servers provide a better racing experience as the computer on which the race is
created does not have to render graphics or audio and all of it’s resources can be allocated to
providing smoother data exchange.
The ‘NASCAR SimRacing Dedicated.exe’ is only installed if you accept the terms of the End User
Licence Agreement displayed at the end of the installation process. After accepting the terms of the
End User License Agreement, the ‘NASCAR SimRacing Dedicated.exe’ is installed to your game
directory. You may start the ‘NASCAR SimRacing Dedicated.exe’ program by double clicking on it or
selecting Start, All Programs, EA SPORTS, NASCAR SimRacing, NASCAR SimRacing Dedicated
Server.
For other users to see races that you may create on a dedicated race server, the dedicated race
server must be connected to the internet via a high speed/broadband internet service or recognized
as part of the Local Area Network that other players may be connected to.
1. Start your computer and establish a connection to the internet via a high speed/broadband
internet service.
2. Start ‘NASCAR SimRacing Dedicated.exe’.
3. Select the Active Series for which you are about to configure your dedicated race server.
4. Select the name of an event you wish to race at in the Available Events list on the left and then
select the Add>> button to add that event to the selected events list on the right.
Note that you may hold down the CTRL key and select multiple events in the Available Events list
on the left before selecting the Add>> button to add all of the events you selected to the Selected
Events list.
If you wish to create a custom order for the races in the Selected Events list, select an event in the
list and then select the Move Up and Move down buttons to set it’s position in the list. The event at
the top of the list is always the first loaded.
5. Select the Config>> button to continue.
6. Set the Server Options, Driving Aids and Connection Info as desired for the race server you are
about to create.
RACE NAME
The name by which your race server will be identified within the RACE SERVERS list.
PASSWORD
Enter a password to restrict access to your race server.
FLAG RULES (Off, Black Only or On.)
FUEL USAGE (Off, Normal, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6 or X7).
TIRE WEAR (Off, Normal, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6 or X7).
MECH FAILURES (Off, or On).
Mechanical failures.
WEATHER (Changing, Clear, Cloudy or Constant)
RACE LENGTH (3-100%)
DIFFICULTY (Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Professional or Veteran)
STEERING HELP (Allowed or Disallowed)
BRAKING HELP (Allowed or Disallowed)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING (Allowed or Disallowed)
TRACTION CONTROL (Allowed or Disallowed)
STABILITY CONTROL (Allowed or Disallowed)
INVULNERABILITY (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO CLUTCH (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO PACE LAP (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO PIT STOP (Allowed or Disallowed)
SPIN RECOVERY (Allowed or Disallowed)
AUTO SHIFTING (Allowed or Disallowed)
NO. (COMPUTER DRIVERS)
ABILITY (COMPUTER DRIVERS)
AGGRESSION (COMPUTER DRIVERS)
CONNECTION TYPE (ISDN, Cable/DSL 128 kbit/s upload, Cable/DSL 256 kbit/s upload, LAN
or Custom)
If your dedicated server is connected to the internet at faster than 256 kbit/s upload, select custom
and then adjust the UPLOAD SPEED below to find the optimum setting.
UPLOAD SPEED (51 kbit/s - 10000 kbit/s)
If your dedicated server is connected to the internet at faster than 256 kbit/s upload, set your
CONNECTION TYPE to Custom and then adjust the UPLOAD SPEED to find the optimum
setting. Try a setting of approximately 5026 kbit/s initially and then increase or decrease and run
test races to find the optimal upload speed for your server and upload bandwidth.
PLAYERS (2-43)
Default recommendations are made for all connection types except for custom which allows you to
control the maximum no. players to be allowed to join your dedicated server races.
MIN RANK (0-100)
Set the minimum rank that players must have in order to be allowed to join your dedicated race
server.
MAX PING (100-1000)
Set the maximum ping that players are allowed to have in order to be allowed to join your
dedicated race server.
ALLOW VOICE CHAT (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability of players that have joined your dedicated server races
to communicate via voice over i.p.
COMPUTER DRIVERS (Allowed or Disallowed)
ALLOW SPECTATORS (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability for players to join your dedicated server races as
spectators.
ALLOW DUPLICATE VEHICLES (Allowed or Disallowed)
This option allows you to control the ability for players to join your dedicated server races using
the same car/truck.
7. Select Finish to continue. The first track/race will now be loaded and once this process is
complete, your dedicated race server will be live and visible for players to join via the NASCAR
SimRacing LOBBY screen and RACE SERVERS list.
At this stage, the dedicated server application will display information as well as several options
that are only available to you as the dedicated server administrator as described below.
The dedicated server will display key information about your dedicated race server in the upper
left area and a list of players (Clients) that have successfully joined in the upper right area.
As the dedicated server administrator, you may select any player in the Clients list and elect to
Boot or Ban them by selecting the Boot Client or Ban Client buttons that become available after
you select a player.
Players are most commonly Booted in the event that their connection to the dedicated race server
is reported as a problem. Players are most often Banned in the event that their connection is
consistently reported as a problem or in the case that it is proven a player is cheating.
The dedicated race server administrator may also elect at any time during the course of a race to
restart that race by selecting the Restart Race button or to advance to the Next Event>> by
selecting the Next Event>> button.
As the server administrator you are also allowed to see all chat messages that are exchanged
amongst players and allowed to enter and issue your own messages issued by [Server] to all
players by selecting the Send Chat button.
In the event you wish to reconfigure any of the settings of your dedicated race server you may
select the Config>> button and edit all of your settings.
Finally, in the event that you wish to exit the dedicated server, select the Exit button.
JOINING A LEAGUE
One of the most rewarding ways to enjoy NASCAR SimRacing is to find and join a league of like
minded enthusiasts. Many leagues exist with members that race on a regular basis. Some leagues
are even affiliated with real drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr.
League members often develop setups together and exchange telemetry etc. so as to enable them to
improve more quickly than is possible as individuals. Some of the larger leagues have even created
their own paint schemes and often select their best drivers to trace against the best drivers from other
leagues in special events and even racing LAN parties. If you join a league, the chances are that your
racing skills will improve and that you will enjoy ‘SimRacing’ more than you ever have as an
individual. You’re also likely to make some new friends that you may stay in touch with for many
years to come.
Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of this document to attempt to list all of the racing leagues that
exist. The URL below provides a good place for you to start exploring from however.
http://www.crazygameworld.com/modules.php?name=Web_Links&l_op=viewlink&cid=6&min=0&orde
rby=titleA&show=10