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NASCAR Coursebuilders, Drivers Consult Videogame Version
Thanks to the St.Petersburg Times for their article discussing how NASCAR videogames are giving the real-life drivers tips on a newly redesigned course. According to the piece, which discusses the "$10 million... redesign of Homestead-Miami Speedway", the drivers are checking out EA Sports' new NASCAR title for tips on the as yet undriven new layout: "'The boys playing the video game said Homestead's going to be real fast,' said Busch Series driver Scott Riggs in September... 'With that new banking in there, they could be pushing 180 (mph) in the straightaway'." The coursebuilders at the International Speedway Corporation also got their first look at racing conditions from the game, according to an EA spokesman: "The first time we went down and showed the game to the ISC people they were jumping around the office... [the redesign] was going to add roughly 30 mph to the top speed and shave five seconds off a lap."
WAY back when Geoff Crammond's F1GP came out, there was a story like this. A rookie driver who'd never driven Spa-Francorchamps (in Belgium) was racing in a touring car race at the circuit. To get to know it, he played F1GP and did a load of laps in the game to get to know the circuit, went out next day and won the race.
I also remember hearing that Jacques Villeneuve, back when he came to F1, played F1 video games to get to know the circuits.
It's a great idea. If the tech is there, use it, and games are getting SO realistic these days that a lot of racers agree that the sims we play these days pretty much nail what it's really like.
Actually, I remember reading there is evidence that flight was actually discovered in Australia. The Wright brothers nailed it a few years later. Have no idea how true that is.
DO NOT lump all American car racing into going in circles. NASCAR != American car racing. Check out any ALMS event. Infinitely more interesting. Same with Speed World Challenege.
NASCAR and IRL are the "roundy round" racing.