Better known today as the developer of Skyrim and Fallout, Bethesda once had a well-respected racing game franchise and were deep into development of a licensed Skip Barber Racing title that never released.
Video game development is rarely about one man, but if it was, then Terence Groening should certainly get a mention for his contributions to the genre as the man responsible for the physics of Sportscar GT, EA’s PC F1 and NASCAR games of the early 2000’s, rFactor, rFactor 2 and every title and rFpro simulator that spawned from ISI’s engine.
This interview with RSC details his early life and career, through to him joining iRacing in 2021.
iRacing have scanned 1987 Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Monte-Carlo stock cars for their racing simulation, matching up perfectly with the soon-to-be-released North Wilkesboro. This will actually be the first time a NASCAR Generation 3 (1981 to 1991) model will be seen in a racing simulation. The NASCAR Legends (1999) title featured Gen-2 cars from 1970 and NASCAR Racing (1994) featured Gen-5. Every simulation title after that used a later generation of race car.
The short track Chevrolet Monte-Carlo they scanned was built in February, 1987 and ran 15 races between 1987 and 1989. It finished all races in the top ten with six wins, three second places and two third places. Two of those wins came at North Wilkesboro, including the first ever race on radial tires in 1989. It’s held at the NASCAR Hall Of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I know less about the Ford Thunderbird that they scanned… Only that it is one from Bill Elliott’s private collection in Dawsonville.
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