NASCAR 2003 Revival: Need links? I got your links...

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:58 pm

OK, a lot of people seem to be just getting into this game, and it was on my "most played" list for years. If you don't know where to go to get the game...send a private message to pk500. Once you get the game, and you're not sure how to get all up and ready to go, or want some more bang for your non-existent buck that you paid for it, I've got you covered. Here are some links to most of the mods and things that you'll want for your brand new NR2003 installation.

First, the patch. You'll need the 1.2.0.1 patch to run online. It's simple to install...download, double click and you're done. It updates and you're ready to connect.

Download the patch from Blackhole Motorsports

OK, you're all patched up and ready to go at this point. Next...mods. NR2003 was kind of "rFactor" before rFactor existed, and there are tons of mods out there. The ones that I see us running the most is probably the Craftsman Truck mod, since they're much easier to drive than Cup cars. The field really bunches up a bit more, and it's harder to "yard the field", so to speak, with fixed setups. Faster guys are a bit slower, and slower guys are a bit faster. It's good fun, for sure. Fender banging and a bit of bumping and grinding isn't as detrimental to your run. Damage is a bit easier to deal with, and it's just overall easier to drive. It really is exactly like the series is...a feeder series for Cup. Another easy-to-install exe file. Download, save, double click and let it run.

Download either hi-res or low-res from MasGrafx Racing

Next up is the Grand National Mod (Busch Series). This is a middle ground between CTS and the Nextel Cup. A bit quicker than CTS, a bit slower than Nextel Cup, a definite "middle of the road" series. Easier to race, easier to hit the groove. Another simple installer in hi or low-res versions.

Download from MasGrafx Racing

One of the cooler mods out there is the Aero88 mod. This is a mod based on the 1988 Winston Cup circuit, complete with 88 cars and physics. Unless I'm mistaken, it basically takes the Craftsman Truck physics and applies them to 1988 cars. Might be fun to bang around in the old rides, no? Another exe installer.

Download the Aero88 Installer from The Pits

There's also an Open Wheel Racing mod (basically the IRL without skins). It's a zip file that you have to extract, and then run the installer from there. But the physics very nice for a high-downforce simulation car, and running multiplayer in Indy Cars, feet planted firmly on the floor is something you won't soon forget. Extract the zip, run the installer, and you'll have to point this one to your NR2003 installation directory. It uses the C:\Papyrus\Nascar Racing 2003 Season as its default path.

Download from the OWR Site

Individual Cars for the 2007 Nextel Cup Series
Anyone who's run with us so far will have noticed that the AI cars are a bit...outdated. I run the Cup2003 series so that everyone is sure to have the same files. That's for now. Later on down the road, I'll link a file for the 43 car 2007 Nextel Cup carset with a series file to make sure that we're all running the exact same set. Until that time, if you want to download 2007 NNC cars, here are the two best sites for them.

Download 2007 Nextel Cup cars from TeamSBR

Download 2007 Nextel Cup cars from MasGrafx

Setups are personal preference, obviously, but the generally accepted "standard" setups are Bob Stanley's. Download these files, extract them into a temporary directory. You'll see that it creates a "Bob Stanley's nr2003 setups" directory. Go inside of THAT folder, and copy the setups directory in its entirety. Then navigate to your NR2003 installation folder and paste the setups folder on top of the setups folder that's already there, making sure that it asks if you want to overwrite it. If it doesn't ask you, then you're probably pasting the setups folder INSIDE of the other setups folder, and they won't work. If anybody has any problems, PM me. It's pretty basic copy and paste, but this is the biggest thing that can get screwed up. It's also the most insignificant since we run fixed Fast setups most of the time, and those come with the game.

Download Bob Stanley's Setups from Team Lightspeed

The last thing I'll post is the Nirvana of NR2003 information. This site has links to almost every mod that's out there, and the eager downloader can get anything they want in one spot...or at least linked to what they want from one spot. Check this place out, and if anybody sees anything they like, let us know!

NR2K3tracks.com's Mods section, but the page is full of all kinds of links

Hope this helps some of the newer guys get everything they need and jump in the fun!

Terry

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:07 pm

Fantastic post, Terry. Thanks so much.

With my paltry 32MB of VRAM, should I get the low-res version of the Craftsman Truck mod? And can low-res and high-res versions of the mod race against each other?

I really dig the Truck Series, so I'm eager to run that.

One other question: Where do you put the tracks, cars and mods in your N2003 directory when you download them?

Thanks again.

Take care,
PK

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:12 pm

I had most of this downloaded before(except the 07 cars of course). But a couple of new PCs later and its all lost....

- this saved me alot of "google" work.

thx,
BD

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:14 pm

pk500 wrote:
One other question: Where do you put the tracks

This reminds me of that HUGGEEEEEEE track we use to run at for fun... I think it was some Coca-Cola track(mythical). Remeber that?
BD

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:21 pm

Most of the installers I linked find your NR2003 directory automatically, so there's nothing to do other than to click next>next>next. If you go to that last links page and start getting stuff yourself, there's only a few main folders:

Your Nascar Racing 2003 Season\Players\Name\setups folder (each track has its own setup folder inside of that).

Your Nascar Racing 2003 Season\Series\Cup\Cars folder (all downloaded cup cars that you want to run online must be placed there).

Your Nascar Racing 2003 Season\tracks folder. Fairly self-explanatory. Each track has its own folder inside of that.

Hi-res and low-res versions of any mod can run togther. It's just the difference between a 512x512 resolution skin on the cars or a 1024x1024 resolution version. You'd probably be best served by getting the low-res to start and then seeing how it works.

The Coca-Cola track is built into the game, Brad. It's an unrestricted plate track that could provide some fun racing if we run it again.

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:46 pm

Thanks. Great post. I found my install disc last night; this will get me up and crashing faster.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:40 pm

Oh, and if we get past the "fixed setup" running, and people want to build their own setups...this link is your bible:

Setup Cheat Sheet

On Oval Tracks it's MUCH easier to set a car up than on road courses, and that page gives you what to tweak to fix oversteer/understeer in general, on entrance and exit, low speed in corner, top speed, erratic braking, fuel mileage, etc.

Not the exact same page, but the same parameters I used to learn how to set a car up years ago.

RustedWalleye · Post by **RustedWalleye** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:33 pm

Thanks for the links Terry. I actually was searching some of my old links trying to find everything. I will definitely be around this weekend, if not before.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:36 pm

Outstanding. Thanks for all of the consolidated info. I had alot of the mods already downloaded from way back when, but when I did my reinstall for last Saturday, I didn't install them figuring that there were current versions out there and now I can grab them all from this thread. Excellent!

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:40 pm

reminds me of the league that I used to be in with Terry.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:26 am

I'm grabbing all the mods while my son is napping, hopefully I'll be able to jump on with you guys soon.

Just messing around with N2003 reminds me what a great game it is. Still stands up well today, much like GPL does.

Wasn't there a bunch of controversy about the guys who own it suing people for making mods for it?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:37 am

fsquid wrote:reminds me of the league that I used to be in with Terry.

Return and join us, Squid!

Take care,
PK

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:15 am

Wow, the Aero88 mod is a hoot, takes me back to the day (well, almost the day, as I was living in Japan in 88 ). I call dibs on my favorite driver of all time, Buddy Baker. Look out for the Red Baron Pizza machine!

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:45 am

pk500 wrote:
fsquid wrote:reminds me of the league that I used to be in with Terry.
Return and join us, Squid!

Take care,
PK

Careful what you wish for. Squid is the only person I have ever seen in a racing game that has a hard time driving straight.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:18 pm

bdunn13 wrote:
pk500 wrote:
fsquid wrote:reminds me of the league that I used to be in with Terry.
Return and join us, Squid!

Take care,
PK
Careful what you wish for. Squid is the only person I have ever seen in a racing game that has a hard time driving straight.

heck, they even wanted to kick me out until Terry intervened and gave me some lessons.

hoosier4974 · Post by **hoosier4974** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 11:28 pm

fsquid wrote:reminds me of the league that I used to be in with Terry.

Likewise, I was in that league as well...ahh, the memories

Remember my first time racing, during warm ups, I went into the pits and had a very warm welcome into the league by someone who rear ended me at a whopping 160 mph (in the pits mind you). I nearly jumped out of my skin when that happened

Any way, I've been wanting to get back into some NR2003 racing so I'm going to download the reccommended mods and get my system up to par. Hope to see you guys online soon......

Is there a particular night and time that you guys run ?? Should I just watch here for a thread advertising an upcoming race night ??

dave360 · Post by **dave360** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:03 am

I dug out my old copy of this game and was wondering if an XBOX360 controller can be used with it? If so, I'll go buy the wireless receiver and use my 360 wireless and join you guys. It's been ages since I've played it.

hoosier4974 · Post by **hoosier4974** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:45 am

dave360 wrote:I dug out my old copy of this game and was wondering if an XBOX360 controller can be used with it? If so, I'll go buy the wireless receiver and use my 360 wireless and join you guys. It's been ages since I've played it.

Hey Dave, I know for a fact that a 360 controller will work on the PC but using it for Nascar 2003 may not. Besides, trying to control a car with it would be difficult at best. A steering wheel is the only way to go

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:30 pm

Consoles are one thing to use the gamepad on. It's possible, but the physics are so much deeper on PC's that the 360 pad just won't give you what you need, especially on a game like NR2003 where a tiny turn of the wheel can alter your lap time by half a second and move you from pole position to a backmarker. You could try it, but it wouldn't be very competitive.

And Hoosier, we just kind of throw the threads out there as we race.

hoosier4974 · Post by **hoosier4974** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 6:19 pm

TCrouch wrote:Consoles are one thing to use the gamepad on. It's possible, but the physics are so much deeper on PC's that the 360 pad just won't give you what you need, especially on a game like NR2003 where a tiny turn of the wheel can alter your lap time by half a second and move you from pole position to a backmarker. You could try it, but it wouldn't be very competitive.

And Hoosier, we just kind of throw the threads out there as we race.

Okay, cool Terry, I'll watch out for a racing night thread to pop up.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:23 pm

I'm In! Got my NR03 running and I'm looking forward to the next get together for some racing!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:35 pm

edit - I just realized you had linked the dl's! Thanks!

Terry - what is the Craftsman Truck Mod called on the BS web site? They have a page full of Craftsman Truck mods.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:02 pm

Any time. So how many people we have now that run NR2003?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:16 pm

TCrouch wrote:Any time. So how many people we have now that run NR2003?

Hell, I'm thinking at least a dozen. We're going to have one hell of a fun Poker Night soon.

Take care,
PK

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:20 pm

Yeh, thought we would have run Cali this weekend. Got to get another one in quick cos im gonna be F1'in soon.