NASCAR 3 Previewed in Daytona

According to GameCenter, Papyrus were on-site in Daytona to preview the upcoming NASCAR Racing 3 title that will feature physics adapted from Grand Prix Legends. It won’t have a software rendering option, and instead will support OpenGL or possibly Direct3D-only. It won’t support the newly released Force Feedback wheels.

Here is their news post:

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR Racing’s biggest race, so it was naturally the place where one could find Sierra Sports showcasing its racing titles.

During the Speed Week festivities leading up to last Sunday’s race, Sierra hosted a number of events around Daytona, Florida. Members of the press were treated to a first look at the upcoming NASCAR Racing 3; were able to watch the inaugural season championships for the NASCAR Racing Online Series (NROS); and viewed the recently released NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition and 3D Ultra NASCAR Pinball.

NASCAR Racing 3
The night prior to actual race, the Papyrus development team previewed NASCAR 3 on the top floor of Disney World’s Planet Hollywood. Though the simulation is still in an alpha state, and a new physics engine will be incorporated into the game next week, the new NASCAR looked incredibly realistic, surpassing its predecessors in graphics, sound, and gameplay.

The hardware-only game–which will support OpenGL and possibly Direct3D–features 18 authentic tracks, most of the Winston Cup drivers, and many multiplayer modes playable over the Internet, with up to 22 simultaneous drivers on a given track. As with NASCAR 2 and NASCAR 99, players can create custom cars with the texture editor and, as a new feature, it’s possible to mix and match pit crews. For instance, you can race as Bobby Labonte, but with Jeff Gordon’s award-winning posse.

Matt Marsala, the director for NASCAR 3, was there to demonstrate the game. “We are particularly excited about the new physics engine, which is a modified GPL [Grand Prix Legends] engine that includes an aerodynamics model. This will allow the cars to generate lifts depending on the circumstances. And the new sound engine is also awesome,” said Marsala.

At this point NASCAR 3’s only foreseeable shortcoming–besides the possibility of no Direct3D support–is the lack of steering wheel force-feedback support, though a patch may be released after the game ships.

Sierra Sports’ NASCAR Racing 3 is scheduled for release sometime in October or November.