rFactor - IRL Style Part II - Operation Sports

Feature Article

rFactor - IRL Style Part II

Submitted on: 04/01/2008 by Robert Nielsen

Last week I looked at the X-Race Oval Series add-on for rFactor, which looked to be the only mod available to simulate the winged rockets that make up the IRL. A new player has entered the fray, the Open Wheeled Racing Series 1.00, or OWRS.

There isn't a specified installation routine for this mod, instead you download the .zip file which weighs in at about 157 mb. Then you unzip it into your main rFactor folder. Once the unzip is accomplished, start rFactor as normal and if the OWRS isn't the default series, simply select it through the menu system.

This mod, unlike the X-Race series, has nearly up-to-date 2007/2008 color schemes for all race teams. For example, Danica Patrick is in her AGR colors, and the other IRL teams are updated to reflect their teams for the 2008 season. Once you've entered the game, simply select the car you want to drive, and any applicable upgrades (such as wing style or speedway and/or short track configuration) and you can start racing.

The big problem with this mod is that unlike the X-Race mod, this mod does not provide any individual tracks. You need to have installed a set from either JNS or the SCE (Stock Car Evolution) mod. Even with these tracks, a complete IRL season is not possible, without the addition of the road courses at St. Petersburg and Ohio, and the new Iowa Speedway. However, all three of those tracks are available for download on the Internet.

Once the tracks and car files are installed, you're able to actually get some track time, and you'll find that the cars run very closely to their real-life counterparts. In testing sessions I've run recently, the cars run between 215-225 on the larger speedways (Michigan, Indy, California), and near 200 even on tracks like Charlotte and Atlanta, where the series also runs.

So what is the damage like in OWRS? Like X-Race, it is not great, just good. I don't fault the mod itself for this, as it's a problem with rFactor in general. However, this mod does an acceptable job of showing parts flying off of cars after a crash, and even shows sparks when you make contact with the wall at 200+ mph. But as with X-Race, the damage while visually accurate, does not impact control as much as it would in reality. Thus, this detracts from the overal realism of the entire mod.

So, between X-Race and the new OWRS, who wins? I'd have to give the advantage to the OWRS mod, as it's more accurate to the present day series and it more closely reflects the 2008 season, including the Champ Car/IRL merger. Either way it makes for an interesting and exciting series and worthwhile addition to the rFactor game.

Member Comments

# 1 pk500 @ 04/01/08 01:20 PM

The IndyCar Series does not run at Charlotte or Atlanta. It hasn't run at Charlotte since 1999, and it hasn't run at Atlanta since 2001.

# 2 TCrouch @ 04/01/08 03:06 PM

I love the handling model in the OWRS mod. It's twitchy, but combined with the RealFeel plugin (thanks for the advice, pk), it is unbelievable. I looped it twice trying to get started while shifting at too high RPM, and the model is extremely fun at speed. Laps around the IMS were unreal...can't wait to put more time in with it.

# 3 ramenite @ 04/04/08 12:34 AM

Yes, I have to agree, this IRL mod is great, It's in the category of mods that you MUST have installed in rFactor.

I may see what leagues are going to form with this mode and join up. My laptimes need to improve slightly though. I'm lapping high 38, while what I've seen, leaders are dipping into the 37's at Indy.

# 4 ramenite @ 04/04/08 12:50 AM

The thing I noticed about racing Indy that's kind of true to life, is that there is NO margin for errors on the turns.

You even THINK about putting a tyre on that white line, and you're going to spin. And if you turn too late and take a higher line, you're dropping maybe 1/4 of a second on that turn.

# 5 pk500 @ 04/04/08 09:53 AM

Ramen:

You're right -- this is one KILLER mod. Indy requires all of the precision you need in real life. Miss your turn-in points, and you're going to scrub too much speed. Put your left front on the rumble strips, and you're going to do the loopdy-loop.

Regarding those fast times, those are all due to setup. The guys running in the 37s are running unrealistic, trick setups. I have a few of those. While it's fun to rip at those speeds, turning laps in the 37.4 range, it feels a bit dirty knowing that you're running a setup that either would be illegal or would result in a torn-up car in reality.

I never run those setups when racing with friends, but I'll use them in the RACE@RFC open track events at Indy just so I can keep up with the Joneses and try to get a decent world ranking.

The lack of control over setup parameters is about the only weakness in this mod, and one of the few weaknesses in rFactor, overall.

Regardless, the IRL 07 mod is fantastic.

Take care,
PK

# 6 ramenite @ 04/05/08 01:39 AM

And something Re: the tach

It seems this changes my tach to have a red line at 18000 rpm. I thought this may be due to the MMG F1 mod I had set up(where the revs get that high). So I did a clean install of rFactor, then installed the IRL mod. Same 18000 tach.

I installed again and just saw what it did on the defaults, and it gave me the default one with no numbers. Is there something I have to change to make the tach correct? The gauge itself is correct, just the numbers are wrong. And it keeps this same tach though every mod after it installs.

# 7 ramenite @ 04/05/08 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramenite


	And something Re: the tach It seems this changes my tach to have a red line at 18000 rpm. I thought this may be due to the MMG F1 mod I had set up(where the revs get that high). So I did a clean install of rFactor, then installed the IRL mod. Same 18000 tach. I installed again and just saw what it did on the defaults, and it gave me the default one with no numbers. Is there something I have to change to make the tach correct? The gauge itself is correct, just the numbers are wrong. And it keeps this same tach though every mod after it installs.

Ok, there's a patch on rFactorcentral on the same page as this mod. It resets the default settings for the cars to their default state.

I'd just delete the original comment, but there may be someone else wondering the same thing.

# 8 pk500 @ 04/05/08 10:41 AM

Yep, happened to me, too. I manually restored the player files that this mod inexplicably overwrites to create that tach a few days before the patch was made available. The patch works just fine.

I have spoken with Mike Peters, the creator of this mod, about the player file issue, and he assured me that those overwrites wouldn't be in the 1.1 version of this superb mod, which he's working on now.

Take care,
PK

# 9 bluengold34_OS @ 04/05/08 04:27 PM

Man, you guys were not kidding about how awesome this mod is. I just ran a 100 lap race at Iowa, and was just blown away by how competitive and precise it was......Thanks for pointing out this mod PK, truly a Hall of Fame Mod.

# 10 pk500 @ 04/05/08 08:58 PM

No problem, dude. Glad you're digging it -- it is deeeeeee-luxe!

Take care,
PK

# 11 ramenite @ 04/05/08 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk500


	Ramen: Regarding those fast times, those are all due to setup. The guys running in the 37s are running unrealistic, trick setups. I have a few of those. While it's fun to rip at those speeds, turning laps in the 37.4 range, it feels a bit dirty knowing that you're running a setup that either would be illegal or would result in a torn-up car in reality. I never run those setups when racing with friends, but I'll use them in the RACE@RFC open track events at Indy just so I can keep up with the Joneses and try to get a decent world ranking. The lack of control over setup parameters is about the only weakness in this mod, and one of the few weaknesses in rFactor, overall. Regardless, the IRL 07 mod is fantastic. Take care, PK

Yeah, I had a look at the setup I was using for the mid 38's. I couldn't match it within rFactor's setup. Just going with the base setup, and what I could adjust without hand editing the file, I can't any better than like 39.7. The gear ratios I had in the 38 setup weren't available. I will note that like 39.7 was good enough for pole at the 2007 Indy 500.

With a "clean" setup, I'm reaching like 380 at a the entrance to turns 1/3, and out of 2/4 about 360. I'm also trying some different camber/tyre pressures, to see if I can get a bit more even temps. I'll see what happens.

# 12 pk500 @ 04/06/08 05:34 PM

Get rid of the kph, mate: You're at Indy!

Just kidding,
PK

# 13 ramenite @ 04/06/08 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk500


	Get rid of the kph, mate: You're at Indy! Just kidding, PK

Just out of curiosity, what are your times using a "clean" setup at Indy?

And I have a tendency to use metric in racing games because they are a smaller unit of measure, and I can use whole numbers. And some mods(TV plugin for example), can only use things like KPH. It just becomes natural after awhile.

# 14 pk500 @ 04/07/08 08:54 AM

I can run in the mid-39s with a clean setup and low fuel, no tow. I think I've hit 39.2 on low tanks with the same clean setup, no tow.

The only changes from the default setup are minor gearing adjustments so the car is on the rev limiter most of the lap and adding a bit of oversteer because I like a loose, "pointy" car. Otherwise it's stock.

Take care,
PK

# 15 ramenite @ 04/07/08 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk500


	I can run in the mid-39s with a clean setup and low fuel, no tow. I think I've hit 39.2 on low tanks with the same clean setup, no tow. The only changes from the default setup are minor gearing adjustments so the car is on the rev limiter most of the lap and adding a bit of oversteer because I like a loose, "pointy" car. Otherwise it's stock. Take care, PK

Yeah, that's about what I did, I did make some tyre pressure adjustments, but I also set up to a bit looser setup. It's a bit easier to correct if you hit your mark late. Otherwise the car wants to go right into the wall.

And on light fuel, and good tyres, I managed to hit 39.4

# 16 pk500 @ 04/07/08 05:56 PM

You're definitely in the ballpark, dude. That's about all you can squeeze from the stock setup. I hit my marks perfectly on the 39.2 and scrubbed off hardly any speed. But that was a magic lap. Usually I'm in the 39.4-39.5 range on good tires and low fuel.

Take care,
PK

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