Shortly after the release of Grand Prix Legends the sim racing community looked forward to another title that promised to offer a similar insight into historic racing. Trans-Am Racing ’68-’72 ultimately never released, a victim of a publishers shady dealings, but as a part of my research I uncovered a VHS of a never-released trailer for the game. Watch the trailer and read about what sim racing missed out on.
RSC contains a database of 153 developers, 468 software titles, 374 cars, 42 bikes, 242 tracks and more...Legendary British game developer whose career spanned a 20 year period and included groundbreaking simulations of Formula Three and Formula One, including arguably the first ever racing sim: Revs (1984).
Most famous for his Grand Prix series that were published under the MicroProse label until 2000, his career unceremoniously ended when his studio was shut down by Infogrames and the Xbox version of Grand Prix 4 cancelled just prior to release.
RSC Podcast Episode 7 – Management Simulations, F1 Managers, Always Used To Be Better?Join Jon Denton, Tim Wheatley, Simon Croft and guest(s) as they discuss sim racing and racing games past, present and future.
RSC contains a database of news items. Our #OnThisDay page shows current day and current week of years past...
RSC contains a database of videos back to the 1980s catalogued as intros, laps, trailers, unboxings and more...
RSC contains a database of emulated software you can play in your browser...
Quoted from the Hasbro ECTS 1999 Media CD:
ECTS 99 Sept 5: Leading entertainment software publisher, Hasbro Interactive is proud to announce the launch of Spirit of Speed, a racing simulation set in the early years of motor-sport and featuring 12 historic cars on nine authentic race circuits from around the world. Players will be exhilarated to find that racing in the 1930’s was every bit as exciting as racing today and more!
Catch the Spirit of Speed in the original racing experience. Players can test the individual handling and racing ability of the Bugatti 35Bm the Auto Union C (the precursor to the Audi), or if they prefer, the Alfa Romero P3, the Napier Railton and if these don’t suit, there are eight more historic racing cars to pick from.
Tussle for the lead as each car finds its optimum race line, but they will have to get tuned into the various demands and challenges of nine race circuits including Italy, France, United Kingdom and United States. Stunning graphics capture the detail of the original cars – from the dash board to the shining metal surfaces. Each car is accurately simulated using four wheel suspension and advanced physics model to make the car behave as it does in real life! But here you survive the crashes! Keep an eye on your oil, water and petrol – and choose your moments for a pit stop – if you break the car – you’re nowhere!
Players can select the racing challenge they want – one course at a time, or the whole season through. Choose from test race, single race or season modes. Players can immerse themselves in the 1930’s experience of motor racing capturing the magic of the time through a period soundtrack, race posters, newspaper headlines and movie reels celebrating the daring motors stars of the era. Spirit of Speed allows players a unique chance to see what it was like to deal with the primitive technologies in braking and suspension and find out just what they are really made of as they fight to control the car all the way around the track!
Catch the Spirit of Speed’s unique experience of the 1930s and enjoy a new breed of racing from an old pedigree of car”
Price:
Specifications: Windows 95/98, P200, 16Mg, Windows 95 supported soundcard. Note: requires a 3D graphics card (Direct 3D compatible/3DfX).
Available: October 22nd 1999
SOS is a simulation of pre-war motor racing and included 15 vehicles and nine tracks selected from the period.
