Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars

Guide Rating -

The Pennzoil World Of Outlaws Sprint Car series represents the pinnacle of the dirt racing world. These 410 cubic inch, 800 horsepower cars only weigh about 1200 pounds and require lighting reflexes and incredible precision. Now you can take one of these monsters out for a drive in the comfort of your living room.

Ratbag Games has built a name for itself by designing the most realistic dirt track racing games available. Powerslide and the original Dirt Track Racing were revolutionary in there time. Recently Ratbag released the newest entry in the series which is Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars (DTRSC).

DTRSC allows you to drive four different models of sprinters on twenty different tracks. The garage includes most any setup option you could ask for. Set the wing angle, position, tire pressure, shock values, stagger and on and on and on.

If you want to get into the garage and tinker with the setup this game will give you the flexibility you need to set the car up just the way you like it.

The Physics

The most critical question to ask about any game is simply, "How does it drive?" Fortunately for Sprint Car fans everywhere the answer for this game is simply: awesome.

These cars drive like a dream. Barrel down the stretch, lift and dump it in. You can feel the weight of the car as you catch the cushion and sling through the turns. But be careful! Racing an open-wheeled sprinter is very different than a full-bodied stock car, get too close and catch a competitors wheel and you might well find yourself going end over end through the turn instead of on to checkered-flag glory.

Also, watch out for the water truck between races, the characteristics of the track can change dramatically between sessions as the track dries out and gets watered again. These changes will move the groove around on the track. This means that for any given event what worked last time might leave you scrambling for a transfer spot this time as the groove dries out or gets watered down.

Start A Career

In career mode you are given just enough money to buy the intro-sprinter. You then enter any one of ten different seasons. The lesser series are easier, but don't pay as well while the big money series will be impossible to win until you've earned some cash and bought better cars.

Working your way up through the ranks you will eventually get invited to the World Of Outlaws support series. This invitation-only series is extremely tough, but if you prove that you can hold your own here you'll get invited to the big show, the Pennzoil World Of Outlaws series. Here you will race against Blaney, Kinser, Haudenschild, Lasosky and the others for the big money in the pinnacle of dirt racing.

Money is the key to success in career mode. It buys new cars, new engines and a laundry list of car upgrades. However, you must be careful not to spend too much because money also pays for repairs and the DTRSC damage model is quite realistic. Tires wear out and need to be replaced, rear-end gears wear, body panels take dents and getting upside down will cost you a new wing so money management is a big factor in this game just as it is in real life.

Overall

It should be obvious by now that I am truly in love with DTRSC. The driving model, the extremely competitive computer cars, the changing track conditions and the extensive career mode all combine to make an exceptional racing sim.

It's all of these extremely realistic features that have made this the most fun I've ever had racing my PC. Sliding through the turns at Eldora Speedway running wheel-to-wheel with Danny Lasosky and Jac Haudenschild while trying to hold off Steve Kinser for a transfer spot will get your heart racing.

Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars is the best dirt racing sim available on the market today.