INFO: The new ISO Indianapolis track

If you are here just for the thrill of the race and having fun, you are most welcomed to have a great month with us. But if you are one of those history nuts who enjoys the attention to detail and rigorous research, we have something extra for you - just keep reading!

For several years now we had been using older updated version of Indianapolis, sometimes with roots deep down in older ISI games like F1 Challenge or Nascar 2004 from EA sports. All those tracks were modeled at a time where laser scanning was just a weird idea in the mind of some crazy engineer in Silicon Valley, and where Google maps didn't provide all the info it gives you today like measuring distances and 3D viewing. Not to mention all the historic footage and pics that has been popping up all around the web and in Youtube. So while we had been adding period correct grandstands, parked vehicles and other stuff, there were several areas where we were feeling the track was not accurately portraying the era.

It doesn't help either that we had for starters modern versions of Indy to build up from, as well as how confusing modern footage can become. You might be already thinking that it has been said year after year that Indianapolis has remained largely unchanged since tarmac was laid above the old bricks, and that the track layout and banking is the same. Well yes and no. It is true that the overall track layout as seen from above is unchanged, as well as the banking, but the track has been repaved several times and not just by adding a layer of tarmac - sometimes old one was removed, and sometimes new material was just added on top. As a result, this is what is amazingly hiding below the surface:



With that huge amount of layers, there are two key aspects that are certainly different now from what they were up to the big repaving of 1995:

- First of all, the transitions from corner to chutes (short straights between Turns 1-2 and 3-4) and back are now much smoother and leveled. Probably as a consequence of the huge speeds attained by the modern cars and the minimal suspension travel as well as ground effects, the chutes were leveled so as to make the transition to the corners smoother and prevent the cars from getting out of control.

Here is a pic of the 1974 race showing the chute between Turns 3 and 4, pay attention to the much higher size of the wall at the low point of the chute when compared to the rest of the turn, and the slope of the track going up and down:



In comparison, see how the 2016 track follows the wall in the same chute in 2016, being much higher between the turns for a smoother transition:



- Then you have the elimination of the banked apron that used to exist, so that the track now ends in the grass, and the new pit in and out lane no longer

follows the track banking, but is almost completely horizontal.

Here is how it looked in 1974, with the new pitlane entry as explained by Jackie Stewart:




And that is why the cars were able to use it, placing the left wheels on it when cutting the turns without spinning:



With our new track all those issues have been fixed and it now truly provides the proper experience when racing on it. For a final idea of how it felt like back in the 60s-70s and compare with our new track, you can check this video. Have fun racing and see you on track!