CASCAR - Opinions Wanted!

[Benjamin Fruth]

Hey all!

Yesterday I watched a CASCAR race on YouTube, which got me thinking about CASCAR in NR2003. Bear with me while I try to convince you:

Here's the race (thanks to YT user Buggy Boy!): [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTxPwyuTgog]2000 CASCAR Exide Batteries 200 at Mosport (FULL RACE) - YouTube[/ame]
Watching it isn't important, but it's the best gauge on what the cars looked like. Much better than the photos I believe.

So I've tried the CASCAR mod that was, as I remember it, originally available from WKRT.net, and while it's a great looking mod, I just don't think the models look like what I saw in the video.

Below are the kinds of pictures a Google Image search on CASCAR (and variants) gets you. You'll have to click them as I didn't want to directly place them in the post. My pictures take up enough room as it is.
Real Reference 1
Real Reference 2
Real Reference 3
Real Reference 4
Real Reference 5
Real Reference 6

All of the real life reference photos are of various makes, models, years, but (to me anyway, and that's what I'm trying to get opinions on) they all look basically the same; Pointy rear bumper, flat nose, and puffed out looking doors and fenders. But what NR2003 models look like that?

For your consideration, here are some screenshots of the CASCAR and NASCAR 4 mods in action.
(Not pertinent to the discussion, these are all taken at Mosport Oval, labeled to be clear which is which, with no edits except for cropping, reduced quality, and the text.)










...

So... what?

Here's the whole point of my post:
Do you think the N4 mod, with proper .mip editing and template shadowing, could make a great CASCAR mod?

I want YOUR thoughts on the subject. Whether you agree or disagree, I'm just fishing for any opinion that isn't my own. Hopefully there's someone who's reading this who might know a lot more about CASCAR, or these mods, than I do. Thanks all!

 

[Thunder98]

Well, you've presented quite a pickle. The Fords and Dodges based on your images would work best with the N4 mod, but the Chevrolet in the last photo is reminiscent of the default NR2003 Monte Carlo.

In the end, I myself use the PWF GNS mod with what CASCAR sets I have.

 

[Orian Thompson]

Isn't CASCAR what the Canadian Tire Series is now?

 

[Thunder98]

Yep, CASCAR was bought by NASCAR I believe and was renamed the Canadian Tire Series in 2007.

 

[electrodisco]

Well as a big cascar/canadian tire series fan, I'd say go for it. The "CASCAR mod" for nr03 is simply the original cup mod reskinned. Converting the N4 mod to nr03 would be cool, the cars are more boxy and have that short track look to them. Sure some of the makes may not look accurate but I think it could still suit a cascar set.

I don't have any knowledge of making mods. Some of the cars in the reference pics you posted raced in different eras.

This might help, here's what the makes looked like in the early 00s. (I wasn't able to check the '01 season or earlier)

Pontiac Grand Prix. Remained the same from '02-'04.

By '06, there was an updated Pontiac.

Dodge Intrepid. Remained the same from '02-'03.

In '04, some teams raced with an updated Dodge.

By '06, the new Charger was in the series.

Chevy Monte Carlo. Remained mostly the same from '02-'06.

Ford Taurus. Remained mostly the same from '02-'06.

------

In '07, the makes were updated. The Dodge Avenger and Ford Fusion were new entries. The Chevy was updated. Pontiac was the same though, as there was no support left.

 

[T18]

Converting the N4 mod to nr03 would be cool, the cars are more boxy and have that short track look to them. Sure some of the makes may not look accurate but I think it could still suit a cascar set.

The pics he posted are of the N4 mod for NR2003, and the cars are a 2011 fictional set I did with the 2011 templates for N4.

One thing that would be needed for sure, would be some bigger templates, as the current N4 templates are 512x256

 

[Benjamin Fruth]

Thanks for the insight electrodisco. I would have liked to have posted pictures more like yours, but I'm too unfamiliar with the series to know which drivers, makes, etc., to look up; I JUST watched my first CASCAR race last week.

While I still think the N4 would work great (with updated template shading, higher resolution templates as T18 said, and some better interior mips), I'm also checking out the Cup90 mod, though I think the N4 is much more promising.

I just had to reformat my computer, so I have no computer running NR2003 at the moment, but I really think this is an intriguing idea. The N4 models aren't really know for anything in the NR2003 community (that I know of), and it would be fun for me to have something like this to work on. I really enjoy working with .mips and fiddling with things in NR2003.

If anyone else has any more opinions on the subject I'd certainly like to read them, just post them up. You don't have to be a CASCAR expert to look at the pictures and form an opinion. That being said, I'd like to get better shots of the N4 mod than the ones I took above. Once I get everything back going again with my PC, I might post some more pictures in here.

And thanks for the info. T18. Once I started doing a little research on the N4 mod, I came to the conclusion that you were the N4 guy. XD I was going to send you a PM to pick your brain on the mod, but I figured you'd find the thread on your own.

 

[T18]

It may help to look at the carviewer files too, they may give you a better idea of the cars shape, also a plus for the N4 mod is it is very FPS friendly lol.

 

[PeterK2006]

Oh hell yeah! A CASCAR mod would be great - throw in the Canadian Tire Series cars too. If you need any help drop me a line!