ToCA Race Driver 3 FAQ by Rikki H. Version 0.25 devil_may_cry_318@hotmail.co.uk /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Legal Stuff*~* \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. If you see this FAQ anywhere other then GameFAQs, let me know via the e-mail at the top of the page. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Version History*~* \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 0.25 - Mechanics section done, some of world tour section complete, cheats and unlockables pretty much done. 0.35 - Added more tiers to world tour mode, pro career mode information started and tidied up the side-headings to make them clearer. 0.37 - Two more tiers added to world tour mode, two more cutscenes added to unlockables section. 0.40 - Up to tier 11 in world tour, added a section on the differences of adding pro simulation, a couple more cutsceses added to unlockables section. 0.50 - Halfway through world tour mode, with tier 16 finished, added tips for the oval championships in pro career and started bonus championships section. Also added an important note about the cheats you can obtain in the unlockables section. 0.51 - Just a minor update. Added a skeleton for the remiaining tiers and added only basic info for some of them, no full tips as of yet. 0.55 - Added tips to tier 17 and 18 and added more cutscenes to the unlockables section. Also added basic info to tier 29 and 30. 0.60 - Tiers 19 and 20 info added, some more cutscenes added to unlockables, added basic info for tiers 29 and 30 and corrected some spelling and grammar mistakes. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Contents*~* \/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 1. Intro (tocint) 2. Controls (tocont) 3. Game Modes (tocgam) 4. Mechanics (tocmech) 5. World Tour Mode (tocworld) 6. Pro Career Mode (tocpro) 7. Bonus Championships (tocbon) 8. Cheats/Unlockables (tocheat) 9. Outro (tocout) Note: To jump to a particular section, use the search feature and type in the word in the brackets. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Intro*~* (tocint) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Welcome to my first ever FAQ for GameFAQs. This guide will cover everything you need to know about ToCA Race Driver 3, and will cover the entire world tour and pro career modes, as well as showing you the unlockable bonus championships in free racing mode, and also certain cheats you can use in the game. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~* Controls*~* (tocont) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ For those unfortunate enough not to have a manual with their game, here are the controls used during play: Right analogue stick - steer left analogue stick - accelerate/brake directional pad left/right - steer directional pad up - boost (only used for some vehicles) X - accelerate [] - brake /\ - change camera view () - handbrake L1 - look left R1 - look right R2 - look behind The game also supports the Logitech GT Force, Driving Force and Driving Force Pro steering wheels. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Game Modes*~* (tocgam) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ World Tour - This is one of the main modes of play. The main objective is to drive your way through the tiers until you become world champion. There are 32 tiers to go through, so there's definitely a lot to do. Your coach, Rick, will be there with you every step of the way. Pro Career Mode - The other main game mode. Choose a discipline then a championship and try to come out on top, in order to win cups and unlock bonus championsips to use in free race, multiplayer and time trial. Free Race - Pick any championship you want, set the settings you want, heck, play however you want. Time Trial - choose a track that you have unlocked and try to set the fastest lap on it. Multiplayer - play against a friend and see who comes out on top. Network - Play against friends who are on networked consoles Online - Go online and prove your the best ot the world. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Mechanics*~* (tocmech) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ In this section, I'll tell you about the different tuning you can do to your car, what sort of damage can be inflicted during the race and the flags Most of this is taken straight from the manual. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuning ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To make any sort of adjustment, you usually need to highlight the area you want to adjust and use the left analogue stick to move the bar to the left or right to increase or decrease the selected area. Downforce - Downforce increaes grip, but also increases drag, which can ultimately slow you down. You can set to increase or decrease the downforce to either the front or rear of the car. Transmission - The closer gears are together, the faster your acceleration will be, but this in turn reduces the cars overall top speed. The more you space them out, the slower your acceleration will be, but your top speed wil increase drastically. Anti Roll - The anti-roll bar link both wheels on the same axle to the chassis, making it harder for suspensions to move in opposite directions. This in turn greatly increases grip. Tyre Compound - Softer tyres give better grip, but wear out faster, harder tyres last longer and give better steering, but less grip. Softer tyres are usually best to use when it is rainy or stormy during a race. Tyre Profile - This is basically the measurement from the outer egde of the tyre to the inner rim. For lower classed vehicles, the wider the profile is, the better the performance you will have. Brake Bias - Adjusting this setting will affect how your car will corner through bends, decreasing it will most likely send the back end of your car out into a drift, increasing it means you will keep the racing line, but too much speed will send you into an uncontrollable spin. Ride Height - Rasing the height of the car offers better suspension shock, but puts it more at risk of rolling, decreasing height will gave the opposite effect. Suspension - Setting suspension to soft will help the car go over uneven surfaces, like in rally stages. Hard suspension is better for tarmac surfaces, but on uneven terrain, your grip will decrease drastically. Toe and Camber - Toe setting affect tyre wear, straight-line speed and stability. Toe-in affords stability, whereas toe-out promotes quick steering responses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Damage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gears - Any damage to your gears may affect how your car shifts up and down gears, and may also affect it's top speed. It can be damaged through shifting incorrectly through gears (manual mode) or a head on impact. Steering - Damage to your steering will affect how your car behaves on the track. Severe damage will usually pull the car to one direction, making going through opposite corners a nightmare, especially at high speeds. Steering can be damaged from a side on impact, or driving across the infield at high speeds. Suspension - Damage to the suspension will affect road handling and cornering. Severe damage will increase the chances of the vehicle bottoming out. Suspension can be damaged through high impacts, or driving across the infield at high speeds. Engine - Damage to your engine will severely affect top speed and acceleration. Once the engine is damaged, the time it takes to overheat will decrease, a bar underneath the engine icon shows it's temperature. When you start smoking, you're in trouble. Wheels - Damage to your wheels reduces stability and handling. A loss of a wheel usually means the end of the race for you. Tyres cna also blow if they become too overheated, so don't do any burnouts on the track. Tyre Wear - As tyres wear, they lose their grip. Driving across the infield greatly wears tyres down, and is best avoided. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flags ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yellow - A yellow flag signifies an accident up ahead. Overtaking is forbidden during this period. Blue - A blue flag signifies a faster car attempting to lap you. It's best to move out of the way and let them past. Black - A black flag signifies that that driver has been penalised, and must return to the pit for a timed or pit penalty, failure to do so will result in disqualification from the race. Green - A green flag signifies the caution period is over, and you may resume at race speed and begin overtaking again. White - A white flag signifies that driver is on their last lap, or that there is a much slower vehicle on the sector controlled by that flag post. Black and white - A blakc and white diagonal flag signifies a warning for careless driving, corner cutting or driving the wrong way. Failure to comply by the rules a second time will result in a black flag. Black with orange dot - A black flag with an orange dot in the centre signifies a driver with severe mechanical problems, and must return to the pit immediately. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pro Handling ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Handling - Cars will act more realistically with this turned on, and makes the game less arcadey Damage - Cars will recieve realistic damage, for example, if you collide with a wall, you'll probably lose a wheel rather than recieving minimal damage. Gravel Traps - With this turned on, gravel traps will stop your car dead, like in real life. NOTE: all of the tips provided in world tour mode are with all pro simulation options turned off. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*World Tour Mode*~* (tocworld) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ World Tour mode is one of the main areas of the game. As mentioned earlier, your goal is to advance through 32 tiers to ultimately become world champion. These tiers usually have three different championships to choose from (the earlier tiers have two and the last two tiers only have one,) but you do not have to complete all the championships to advance, you only need to complete one. Before this all starts though, you are thrust into the deep end, starting on the last lap of a race in last place! Don't worry, you don't have to worry about trying to get 1st in this. This is simply a starter race, and also introduces Rick, your coach throughout the world tour, who imforms you about sticking to the racing line. After this little cutscene, the real world tour begins. Below I will list the different championships, the vehicles used, tracks raced on, lowest place to proceed to the next tier and tips on how to beat the championship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Autosport Clio Cup ** Vehicle used - Racing Renault Clio 930kg 190bhp 0-60 in 4.1 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Short Circuit (2 laps) Silverstone National Circuit (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - Ok, for your first championship, you shouldn't have too much hassle. The Clio is a fast and nippy car and holds the racing line well, so you shouldn't be spinning out too much. The AI is also more lenient than in later tiers, and don't put up much of a fight. Use this championship to get used to the controls. As for the tracks, there shouldn't be too much trouble. The second corner in Brands Hatch and the penultimate corner in Silverstone are the only liable causes of grief. Just make sure you brake early enough, and the Clio should do the rest for you. ** Global GT Lights ** Vehicle used - GT Light 490kg 150bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - Oulton Park Fosters Circuit (2 laps) Brands Hatch Short Circuit (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, Rolling Tips - This championship introduces you to rolling starts. The GT Light can take some getting used to. It has quicker acceleration than the Clio, but worse grip. The Oulton Park circuit has a nasty right hander halfway through the track, and an even nastier one at the end, which resides on a hill. If you're not careful on the braking, the GT Light can easily spin off here, and with only two laps, you need to try and take it easy. The second track is Brands Hatch, so you should roughly know the layout of the track now, just remember that the GT Light has worse grip than the Clio, so take those tighter turns a little easier. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Class B 4WD Track Challenge ** Vehicle used - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV 1350kg 280bhp 0-60 in 5.5 secs Tracks - Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (2 laps) Nurburgring Short (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - This championship is a multi-class event, basically meaning there are 2 sets of races going on at once. You only need to concern yourself about the red dots on your map, the other dots are in the different class to you. As for the Mitsubishi, it has so-so braking power and compared to the last two vehicles, it may seem to corner like a tank. The trick is to brake earlier into corners than you would expect and ease it round the bend. The tracks certainly give you plenty of opportunity for that. The Laguna circuit is a monster track, with many tight turns forcing you to brake heavily. The most noticeable is the S-bend near the end. It can cath you completely by surprise, as it is at the top of a hill, and the corner can come out of nowhere. Make sure to brake as soon as you come close to the 100m sign on the left to give you time to corner. The nurburgring is no better. The first few corners are very tight, and you need to give yourself plenty of braking time for them. You need to watch out for the chicane near the end too, as there is a stack of tyres to the right which can cause serious damage to yu if you run into them. All in all, this is not an easy championship to get 1st on, especially seeing as we're only one the 2nd tier. ** MG Team Rally Shield ** Vehicle used - MG ZR Super 1600 950kg 215bhp Tracks - UK Rally Stage 3 Minumum Position - 4th Qualifying & Race start - N/A Tips - Your first rally event. You get no qualifying round here, so for your first go at this, you'll be driving blind. The way to win these stages is not to take positions, but to get the best time. The MG ZR has a tendency to slide around corners, but not so much as to spin out, just be careful in turns any lower than 3. There is a VERY tight hairpin turn just after the construction site, so brake very early for it. There is also quite a few jumps in this track. Don't take these really fast, as you will end up damaging your motor. There is a 90 degree turn after the first checkpoint which may catch some off guard, so again, brake early for it. The only other real hazards are the ditches towards the end of the course, which can easily flip you over if you slide into them. The time you are looking to beat is about 3.05.00, so try not to make too many mistakes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Formula 1000 ** Vehicle used - Formula J-1000 310kg 150bhp 0-60 in 3.2 secs Tracks - Donnington National Circuit (3 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - This will be your first time driving an open wheel car. I shall warn you now, try to not make contact with any other vehicle, more so than any other championship. You've practically lost the race if your wheels come into contact with an opponents, and will see you spinning out, or even worse, losing a wheel and ending your race, while the other guy goes away unscathed. That being said, the J-1000 is a very fast vehicle, with great braking power. It can also handle corners pretty well, but you really cannot afford any hard hits or it'll be race over for you. Donnington is overall a very flowing circuit, with one corner smoothly running into another, and you should be able to keep a steady speed throughout most of the course. The only tight turn is the chicane at the end after the long straight, start braking just after passing the 100ft sign on the left to get by it safely. The Silverstone circuit here is the full circuit, not the shortened version. The S-bend after the tight right hander is the first major braking point in the track. Shortly after that is another tight S-bend. The last major parts are the two tight 180 degree turns before the pit straight. So long as you brake early enough, you should be able to come through cleanly. ** Off-Road Buggy Nationals ** Vehicle used - Turnham Sandframe M4 Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 3 (2 laps) International Rallycross Short (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - Your first off-road championship, and it's not too difficult. The buggy you're racing with slides across the track as though it was on butter, but for most of the time, the corners are so wide you probably won't hit anything. The downside to this is that you slow down to a crawl during this, allowing others to fly past you. The reason for this is because you're racing on dirt most of the time. It's hard to know the best approach to take corners, as no matter what you seem to do, you end up losing speed, so a good qualifying position is advisable. As for the tracks, well, the dirt raceway is VERY short, with wide turns, but the bumps along the way can slow you down a lot, so learn where the big ones are and don't take them at full speed. The rallycross track has tarmac on half the track, and thankfully, the grip improves on these parts. Fortunately, grass doesn't affect your speed on this track, but it can affect your grip. One last thing, the buggy is open-wheel, so contact with other cars is not advised. ** US Muscle Car Tour ** Vehicle used - Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 1627kg 330bhp 0-60 in 5.6 secs Tracks - Gateway International Road (2 laps) Norisring City Race (2 laps) Nashville Road Course (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - The Firebird isn't exactly the best car to race with. In order to use it correctly, you have to learn to drift round corners, as that is what this car relies on the most. Qualifying will start to play a part in championships now, and getting a good place on these races is essential, as the AI seems to be more aggressive during this championship. The Gateway circuit has a lot of steeped turns, so getting a good racing line is essential, otherwise you run the risk of being overtaken. Norisring is essentially made up of two long straights broken up by chicanes, with a hairpin bend at each end. This is a fun track to race on, just make sure you brake well in time for the hairpins and the rest is pretty easy. The Nashville circuit can be pretty challenging. On one half, it is literally one long corner, on the other, there are many tight turns and hairpins, where care is needed. This is also the first championship where you can choose upgrades for your car, which give a boost to the cars performance. I usually let the engineer choose them for me, and he hasn't let me down yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Supertruck International Series ** Vehicle used - Strana Supertruck 3700kg 850bhp 0-60 in 5.8 secs Tracks - Barbagallo Raceway (3 laps) Eastern Creek International Raceway (2 laps) Nashville Super Speedway (5 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - The Strana, although being a truck, handles surprisingly well. It isn't the quickest vehicle you've driven, but despite it's weight and low speed, it does go round corners pretty well. It can be hard to see where you're going at some points, so you may want to switch to first-person view. There's also not a lot of room to pass on most of the circuits, what with there being 15 other trucks on the track as well, so again, good qualifying positions are paramount. The Barbagallo circuit certainly relies on your braking power. The final corner of the circuit is the tightest one, and you need to brake WELL in advance to avoid going into the sand trap and losing precious places. Eastern Creek is a LONG circuit, hence why you only have 2 laps, and will be the defining race in this championship. There are plenty of hairpin turns and tight corners to keep you on your toes, and if you fall behind here, it's very difficult to gain back your places. The championship finishes on the Nashville speedway, which is essentially a tri-oval. This is really easy compared to the last two tracks. If you don't qualify in a good position, don't worry. You have 5 laps, and that's plenty of time to get first, and you can pretty much squeeze through the middle of the pack, as they tend to leave a nice little gap between themselves. ** Baja Motocross Series ** Vehicle used - K500 Pro Baja Duneracer Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 4 (2 laps) International Rallycross Short (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - I'll say this now, this is NOT an easy championship to win. It's very hard to get a good qualifying position, and its also hard to keep up with the opposition, mainly due to the fact that, like the Turnham Sandframe, the Baja loses a LOT of speed if you take a corner too tightly. They're also more susceptible to being flipped over when going over a jump, which doesn't help. The stage 4 dirt raceway is pretty much the same as stage 3. There is a jump after the pit straight that can easily flip you over if you are just a little bit out of alignment. Fortunately, the AI makes mistakes here too. The corner just before the pit straight is a nightmare too, as if you oversteer, you will more than likely end up in the pit, and that's pretty much your race over. You've already been to the rallycross circuit, so you should know what to expect. You pretty much have to drive a perfect race on both tracks if you want to have any chance of coming first. I've only managed to come 4th on this so far, so good luck, you'll need it. ** Japanese Works Cup ** Vehicle used - Honda NSX 1320kg 280bhp 0-60 in 4.9 secs Tracks - Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (2 laps) Motopark Oschersleben (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - The NSX is a beast of a car, with a top speed close to 180mph, and acceleration to match it. The NSX is a drifter, so instead of keeping to the racing line round corners, let the back end slide out. You can easily regain positions in this championship, thanks to the NSX's superb speed, so don't worry if you fall a little behind. Phillip Island has nothing you haven't seen before. It's a pretty flowing circuit, with the odd 180 degree turn here and there. So long as you get a good position, this circuit shouldn't pose too many problems. Oschersleben is pretty much one tight turn after another. The first corner can be pretty nasty, especially if you're in the middle of the pack. Watch for when the other cars brake and follow their lead. The only time you'll be able to reach top speed is during the pit straight, but just remember about that 180 degree turn straight after it. There's a little chicane halfway through the track which can come up to you out of nowhere and can send you careering into the wall, so keep on eye on your map. One last thing. The NSX can easily be spun out, even from the slightest tap, which is it's only major downfall, so try to avoid collisions with other drivers as best as you can. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 4x4 Monster Series ** Vehicle used - Thunder Mountain 3732kg 1500bhp 0-60 in 5.0 secs Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 4 (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - Aah, one of my favourite championships. The monster truck is a great vehicle to drive, those jumps and bumps that affected the buggies are no match for the trucks huge wheels. It can feel as though the suspension is made of rubber to begin with, with the truck bouncing around all over the place, but once you get used to it's handling, the monster truck becomes one of the funnest vehicles to drive. This championship only has one race, and you MUST, for the first time, finish 3rd or above to proceed, so, as should be routine now, a good qualifying position is essential. The stage 4 dirt raceway has already been visited, but this time, you have the monster truck at your disposal. try and turn just before going over a jump into a corner, that way, it'll be easier to negotiate round the bend. The real pains to watch out for are the other drivers, who can easily get in your way and cause you to slip up. Once you get ahead of them, it should be smooth sailing, until then, try and force your way through the pack, show them who's boss. You're very unlikely to get a penalty from doing so, and it can be a great help to you getting that first place. ** Formula Ford ** Vehicle used - Formula Ford 450kg 156bhp 0-60 in 3.5 secs Tracks - Motopark Oschersleben 'B' (3 laps) Sandown International Motor Raceway (2 laps) Oran Park Raceway (2 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - The Formula Ford is a heavier vehicle than the J-1000, and has slightly less acceleration, but it handles in pretty much the same way. The main difference is that the wheels are fully exposed, and very vulnerable. A hit of any kind will do severe damage to your vehicle, even going over the infield for a brief period can damage your suspension. The Ford can also have a tendency to lose some grip round some of the tighter corners, so extra care is needed when driving it. Oschersleben 'B' is a much simpler course than the other version. It has a long pit straight, followed by a tight right hander, which leads onto another 180 degree turn. The tightest corner follows, and it's on a slight incline, which can actually make your vehicle spin out if you're unwary. For the rest of the track, you can pretty much take it at full speed, just brake slightly for the final corner. Sandown consists mainly of 90 degree turns and long straights, with a couple of chicanes. The tightest corner is about 3/4 of the way through the track, and is after a long straight, so heavy braking is in order for you to get through it in one piece. You'll be seeing a lot more of the Oran park circuit later on, so it's best to get used to it now. It has a unique loop near the start, which consists of three tight right handers as you climb up a hill and over a bridge. This is the trickiest part of the circuit, and a good racing line is essential. The final corner is steeped, so make sure you don't go crashing straight into the wall by going too fast into it. Move to the right hand side and cut into the corner to maintain the fastest speed possible through it. ** Palmer Caterham Challenge ** Vehicle used - Caterham 7 490kg 200bhp 0-60 in 4.0 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Short Circuit (3 laps) Oulton Park Fosters Circuit (3 laps) Zandvoort Oostelijk Circuit (4 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Caterham is fast, nimble, and holds the corners really well. It sometimes slides round the corners, but just go with the flow, it usually maintains it speed well when doing so, so don't fret too much. You've already been to Brands Hatch and Oulton Park, just remember about the turn before the pit straight at Brands Hatch and the tight right hander after the hill at Oulton Park. Both can cause you to lose your grip if you're going too fast. Zandvoort is a new circuit, and it's pretty short. The second corner is tighter than it looks, so brake heavier for it. The fourth corner is the same as the second, just don't be fooled by the road going straight, as that will send you straight into a wall. Overall, this is a pretty easy championship to win. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** British GT - GT Cup ** Vehicle used - Marcos Mantis 1100kg 375bhp 0-60 in 4.0 secs Tracks - Donnington National Circuit (3 laps) Mondello International Circuit (3 laps) Snetterton (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - This is another multi-class event, and you'll be revisiting the British GT championship a lot over the course of the next tiers. For this time round, you'll be racing a cup class vehicle, which is the slower of the two classes. The Mantis is a powerful car, but it lacks cornering ability, and some of the easier turns will prove to be a little harder to maneuver round than in some other vehicles. Fortunately, the Mantis has great braking power, so you can brake later into corners than you would normally do. We're back to Donnington to begin with, remember that the Mantis can't handle the corners really well, so take the speed down a notch if you feel the car won't be able to make it round. Mondello is another long and technical circuit, with lap times around the 1:30.00 mark. This will certainly push the Mantis to it's limits, as one 180 degree turn leads on to another, there's a really tight hairpin before and after the pit straight, and you will pretty much have to drop to 1st gear to get the car round. I strongly suggest practising on the course before trying to come on the podium in the actual race, as every turn could mean the difference between finishing in 1st and last place. Snetterton, thankfully, is a lot easier to navigate round. There are two very long straights that you can make passes on, but, like all long straights, there's a tight turn straight after, so be prepared to brake. The tightest corner is the chicane towards the end, which again is after a straight, make sure it doesn't catch you by surprise. The AI certainly won't help much in this championship either, as they try and jostle you out of position, try to keep a safe distance from them, so as to avoid being spun out by them. ** 1930's Vintage Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Mercedes-Benz W25 910kg 345bhp 0-60 in 3.7 secs Tracks - Silverstone National Circuit (5 laps) Motopark Oschersleben 'B' (5 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Hoo boy, this championship is a nightmare. The W25 is one of the hardest vehicles to control in the game, but what can you expect from something that is about 70 years old? It's combination of high speeds, awkward cornering and open wheels makes for a very frustrating championship to win, and the fact that 19 other cars are on track too, where the slightest knock will usually send one of your wheels flying into the crowd, you're going to see a LOT of restarts. One saving grace is that there are only two circuits to complete, the bad news is that you have to race 5 laps on both of them. The best advice I can give you is to qualify no less than 3rd, take things slow and take them steadily. Don't worry about getting 1st place first time. Silverstone's only tight corners are towards the end of the course, brake well in time, and hope to god an opponent doesn't ram you up the rear! As for Oschersleben, the tight corners come at the start of the circuit. Strangely, the AI slows down even more than it normally does on this circuit, allowing you to gently ease past most of the field. Because of this, it makes it a lot easier to win this race than at Silverstone. Don't let your guard down though, stay focused, keep your nerve and this championship IS do-able. ** US Speedtruck Challenge ** Vehicle used - Chevrolet Silverado Truck Tracks - Gateway National (5 laps) Dover International Raceway (7 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - This will most likely be the first championship you complete in this tier, as compared to the other two, it's a piece of cake. This is also the first championship where you HAVE to make a pit stop at some point during the race. I usually make my pit stop on the first lap and get it over and done with, as there really shouldn't be any need for you to make any repairs at all, just make 1 lap of fuel go in and that's it, so as to make the quickest pit stop possible. The Silverado handles corners well, you may find you need to slow down a little bit, but because all you'll be doing is pressing left all the time, there shouldn't be any worries at all. Gateway actually has a tight first bend, so slow down more than you normally would for other oval corners. Dover is a regular oval, and the corners are so slight, it hardly poses a challenge. Overall, this is one of the easiest championships to come first on, you shouldn't even have to bother with qualifying for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Baja Buggy Kitcar Cup ** Vehicle used - Volkswagen Beetle Baja Bug Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 3 (3 laps) International Rallycross Short (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - Another off-road event. Before you start groaning, there's some good news. The Baja Bug is a LOT easier to handle than the Sandframe or Duneracer. It doesn't slide around anywhere near as much, and doesn't lose drastic speed when going over jumps. You'll also notice straight away that the engine is on the back of the vehicle, so knocks to the front of the car won't cause as much damage to the car. You'll also be pleased to know that the AI makes a lot of mistakes during the races, and seem to be more worried taking each other out, rather than yourself for once. As for the tracks, well, you've been to both quite a lot of times already now. The last corner of the dirt raceway can cause a problem if you go into it too fast, and slow down just before leaving the tarmac on the rallycross circuit, otherwise you'll just plough into the barrier a little further on. Other than that, so long as you go gently enough round the corners, this championship shouldn't be a problem. ** Formula Palmer Audi ** Vehicle used - Formula Palmer Audi 620kg 275bhp 0-60 in 2.8 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Norisring City Ring (3 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - As Rick mentions in the cutscene, this is the first championship where the vehicles are fitted with a boost button, which gives an extra 60bhp for a maximum of 6 seconds. You have 8 boosts per race, but use them wisely, as if you switch gears during a boost, you lose it, so naturally, don't boost just before you change gear, as that will be a waste, and common sense will tell you to use the boosts on the straights. The Palmer Audi grips the corners well, and has the quickest acceleration of any vehicle you've driven so far. The infield practically stops the Audi dead in it's tracks however, so avoid it as much as possible. Qualifying is also a must, as gaining places during the race is actually quite difficult, and the fact you have to come at least third in this championship doesn't help matters either. The Brands Hatch circuit is a lot like it's shorter counterpart, with not many tight corners at all, and plenty of places to use your boosts, the only real tight corner is the hairpin after the first corner, but you can still take it at second gear. The section after the long straight may seem to have tight corners, but for the most part, so long as you get your racing line correct, you can take them at full speed, look out for the third corner of this pack, as you do have to brake for it. I shouldn't have to explain where to use your boosts on the Norisring circuit, as it is pretty much made up of 2 long straights. It is very easy to pass on this track, just brake later than the others leading into the hairpins, and you can easily take 3 or 4 places if you are behind. Zandvoort is the full circuit, not the short version. There aren't many places to use your boost here, but the best places to use it are on the pit straight, the straight after the first 180 degree turn you encounter and the short straight before the tight 90 degree turn towards the end of the race. Don't be afraid to take some corners at top speed, as the Palmer Audi can handle them comfortably. So long as you qualify in a good position, this can be an exciting and fun championship to race. ** British GT - GT Cup ** Vehicle used - Vauxhall VX220 1000kg 200bhp 0-60 in 5.0 secs Tracks - Castle Combe (3 laps) Oulton Park International Circuit (3 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - Back to the GT Cup, and this time, you're driving the VX220. It's lighter, but has a lot slower acceleration than the Mantis. This does mean, however, that it has better cornering ability. Don't be surprised if the rest of the field sprint off at the start, as the VX220 has one of the slowest accelerations of the 5 vehicles you'll drive in this class. Castle Combe has a very narrow track throughout, making overtaking tricky. It also has a couple of chicanes with barriers on both sides, and if you don't judge it right, you'll either end up with your face all over the wall, or end up catching the infield and spinning out, so take these slowly. For the rest of the circuit, there aren't many tight corners to worry about, just be aware of the narrow track, and don't try and overtake in a stupid place, like those chicanes. The international Oulton Park circuit has quite a few nasty corners. The first two are on inclines, and you can lose your grip on them, but it can also be an advantage for overtaking a number of cars quickly. There's a tight chicane after the hairpin which also has a small bump that can send you clean onto the infield, so be aware of it. There's another tight chicane just after the straight after the first chicane, which then follows onto ANOTHER tight right hander. The final corner is a semi-hairpn, which again is on a crest, and you can easily end up on the left hand wall, so take all of these corners slowly. The Silverstone grand prix circuit's first tricky corner is after the long right hander after the first straight. It's a tight left hander, which leads onto another long right turn. After the next long straight is another series of tight left-right turns. After this, the final few corners can be taken quite quickly, but don't oversteer, or you'll end up in the sand traps. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** RA Rallycross Championship ** Vehicle used - Alpine A110 1600 S Group 4 685kg 155bhp 0-60 in 6.3 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Rallycross (3 laps) International Rallycross Short (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - This is the first championship to introduce rainy courses into the mix. Rain naturally means less grip on track, and with this being a rallycross event mostly on dirt, this means it'll seem like driving over chocolate mousse most of the time. The Alpine certainly can't handle wet conditions very well at all. Under normal circumstances, the Alpine's back end slides out round corners, but because the Brands Hatch circuit is rainy, you're always battling to stop it from sliding out TOO much. Choosing the correct tyres and settings is a must for the first race, otherwise you'll find it very difficult coming any higher than last. The Brands Hatch circuit also has some very precarious turns, the worst being the insanely tight hairpin at the end of the course, which leads from dirt to tarmac. This change in road texture can make the Alpine lose control easily, so counteract the slide round the corner as soon as you get round it. There's also a straight after the first 180 degree turn, which has a barrier jutting out from the left, and you can easily clip then end of this, and do some serious damage to your vehicle and your position. Thankfully, the international rallycross track is on sunny conditions, just remember to change your tyres back from the last race. The AI is certainly starting to get more experienced now, and they can and will force you to make mistakes. They tend to stick to the racing line almost inch perfectly, and if you're only slightly off, they can ram you and make you spin out. Seems strange how the AI hardly recieves any damage from full frontal crashes dontcha think? Don't worry about cutting corners during the races, after all, this IS a rallycross event, and take advantage of the AI's strict racing line routine. You'll probably find you spend most of your time on the Brands Hatch circuit, just try different settings to find what suits you best and keep practising on it, you'll get there eventually. ** British GT - GT Cup ** Vehicle used - Morgan Aero 8 1087kg 276bhp 0-60 in 4.8 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Mondello International Circuit (3 laps) Snetterton (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - Back to the GT cup again, and time to take the Aero 8 out for a run. I love the shape of this car, and it also handles well. It's not as nippy on the acceleration as the Mantis, and it doesn't corner as well as the VX220, but it can sure keep up with the pack and hold it's own. It's one main downside is that for some strange reason, it can flip up if you go onto the markers round the edge of the track too quickly (I managed to do a triple roll by coming into contact with another vehicle too.) The track to concern yourself most on is the Mondello circuit, as that is the one you'll find gives you the most problems due to it's tight corners. The Aero 8 can generally take corners well, just don't oversteer or you'll either spin or flip yourself over, and the AI certainly makes you pay for mistakes, as they are always bunched up together, so anything less than a perfect race will probably see you at the bottom end of the pack for most races. Just qualify in a good position and this championship shouldn't be too much hassle, you've certainly been at worse. ** International Rally Cross ** Vehicle used - Renault Clio V6 Rally X 1405kg 230bhp 0-60 in 6.3 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Rallycross (3 laps) International Rallycross Short (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - practise then timed session, grid start Tips - Two rallycross championships in one tier? Yep, you read right, and it uses the same tracks as the Alpine championship. So, let's compare the Clio to the Alpine. They both slide around like a greased monkey, they both have terrible acceleration, and they both perform doubly as bad in the rain, So all in all you're gonna have fun once again. The saving grace of the Clio is that it is a lot heavier than the Alpine, so is less prone to spinning. The only other major difference in this championship is the change in weather, where Brands Hatch is now sunny and the International Rallycross circuit is rainy. Brands Hatch is still gonna be the course that gives you the most hassle, but fortunately you have a free practise session before qualifying, so use this to get used to the feel of the car and to tweak it's settings if needs be, you have all the time in the world, so make the most of it. Also, don't forget to cut corners during the races, there are no penalties for doing so, and you can gain a lot of places by doing so. Just watch out for the cars coming up behind, as one knock from them can erase all that corner cutting you did. If you're not beginnin to hate these rallycross events, you will soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Silver Arrows Grand Prix Series ** Vehicle used - Mercedes-Benz W196 829kg 290bhp Tracks - Barbagallo Raceway (3 laps) Eastern Creek Short Circuit (4 laps) Castle Combe (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - It's another classic grand prix, joy! The W196's handling makes it feel as though there's a delay from you pressing the direction and it actually turning, it's also stupidly easy to spin yourself out in this car, even going round the simplest of corners can have devastating effects. Don't come into this championship thinking this car is something like a Ferrari, it's not! You have to take corners almost at a snails pace, to avoid losing grip, of which the W196 has little. It's also very fragile, a moderate crash can send you into the orange almost immediately. So if we add all this up, it comes out as a very annoying and frustrating championship to win (ring any bells?) The only good point about the W196 is it's NOT open wheel, so you can at least try and continue the race if you crash, although to be honest, it'll be better to either restart or just retire, as coming back from a crash is nigh on impossible. Anyway, to the circuits. Barbagallo is usually an easy circuit to drive on, but because of the W196's greased up handling, it becomes an assault course. Learn when the AI brakes, as this will give you an idea as when to do so too. You'll find you're taking corners in first gear a lot during this race, any higher and you'll more than likely spin. Eastern Creek is a new course, aren't we lucky! It's the shortened version of the full course, and has two lovely little chicanes one after the other halfway through, so don't go pelting down the straight too quickly. All the other corners have to be taken a lot slower than you normally would think. The best place to overtake is at the tight left hander after the pit straight and the corner after it, as you can take them faster than the AI does. Castle Combe also has that chicane over a crest, with a barrier on the left hand side towards the end of the lap. Don't let it catch you by surprise. You will most likely be trying this championship a lot of times. One warning, DON'T throw your controller against the wall, it won't do neither any good. ** Nissan Off-Road Challenge ** Vehicle used - Nissan Dakar N04 1750kg Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 5 (4 laps) International Rallycross Short (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Dakar is definitely a unique vehicle to drive, the best way I can describe it's handling is bouncy and heavy. The Dakar flies over jumps, but finds it hard to get round turns. It doesn't slide round corners like other off-road vehicles, but still loses control if hit. The more it spends time in the air, the more speed and time it loses, and sticking to the racing line is advised during this championship. Stage 5 of the dirt raceway is the longest yet. It has a tight first corner which you can use to overtake people on, and there's a large jump halfway through that has to be judged well, or you'll end up in the wall. It's very hard to judge how quickly to take the bumps, the only advice I can give is to practise practise practise. This time round, don't corner cut on the rallycross circuit, just stick to the racing line to give you the best chance of winning. ** Class B 4WD Track Challenge ** Vehicle used - Subaru Impreza N10 1360kg 280bhp 0-60 in 5.0 secs Tracks - Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Adelaide Street Circuit (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Welcome back to the Class B 4WD championship, been a while hasn't it? You'll be driving the Subaru these races, and it's surprising how similar it is to the Mitsubishi Lancer. It has slightly better acceleration, but a lower overall top speed. It corners a lot better than the Lancer, and it's easier to drift round them. It's been a while since we visited Laguna Seca, so let's recap. Take the first corner with a pinch of salt and don't go too fast into it. It's pretty smooth sailing after that, until you get to the S-bend. Brake as soon as you get up to the 100 sign on the left and keep to the left. The final corner is extremely tight, so shift down to second gear to get round it. Adelaide is a new circuit. It's mainly made up of 90 degree turns, which all offer plenty of opportunity to overtake. It also has an extremely long straight which ends on a tight hairpin turn, as is usual with long straights, start slowing down when you get to the 100 sign. The final corner is also a hairpin, drop down to second gear and you'll get cleanly past it. All in all, this is a lot easier to win than when you were driving the Mitsubishi, and it's actually quite fun in the process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 4x4 Rallycross ** Vehicle used - Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Version 1267kg 520bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - International Rallycross Short (4 laps) Brands Hatch Rallycross (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - We're 1/3 of the way through world tour mode, and what better way to celebrate than with.......a rallycross event, hooray! As seems to be customary to rallycross events now, one of the tracks (in this case being the international circuit) is driven in rain. This version of the Impreza handles so much differently to the one you just drove, it's unreal. It can't drift round corners well, but it doesn't grip the track well either, it's the worst of both worlds. Add rain into the mix and it's trouble waiting to happen, and the AI once again show no mercy towards you. They do occasionally make mistakes when they try and overtake each other, but it's pretty rare. The Impreza's fast acceleration and speed are not a good combination for these tracks, and you'll have to brake sooner round corners because of them. You should know these two tracks inside out by now. You have 4 laps to play with this time round, try and get a good qualifying position, but don't rely on getting a good place on the international circuit, as it's really hard to do so. Concentrate more on the Brands Hatch circuit. Watch out for the transition between mud and tarmac too, as this can make the Impreza lose control easily. ** Formula BMW ADAC Championship ** Vehicle used - Formula BMW 545kg 140bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - Motopark Oschersleben (3 laps) Adelaide Street Circuit (3 laps) Oran Park Raceway (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - As Rick will inform you during the race, the Formula BMW is extremely delicate, so avoid collisions at all times. You're certainly getting your hands on some powerful cars now. The BMW has very quick acceleration and speed, and phenomenal braking power, enabling you to brake into corners very late. It sometimes has a tendency to slide if you take a corner too tightly though. This championship will give you an idea of what to expect in later Formula events, as the BMW isn't quite as fast as some of the even more powerful cars. Oschersleben does have a lot of tight turns, but the BMW's brakes allow it to get round these bends a lot easier than some other vehicles, just be wary of the 180 degree turns, ans you can start sliding if you take these at the wrong angle. Adelaide is a very fast circuit, the 90 degree turns shouldn't pose too much of a threat, remember about the tight turn after the long straight and also the final corner, you can brake as late as the 50ft signs and still get round in one piece. Oran Park should pose no problems. For some reason, the BMW tends to wheel spin at the start of the race, so release the gas for a split second, then pile on the pressure. You should hardly have to brake during the race, the only time you need to is for the first and last corner, and the half figure of eight at the start of the circuit. ** Autosport Clio Cup ** Vehicle used - Racing Renault Clio 930kg 190bhp 0-60 in 4.1 secs Tracks - Hockenheim Short Circuit (3 laps) Castle Combe (3 laps) Donnington National Circuit (3 laps) Eastern Creek Short Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - You're racing in the Renault Clio, the first vehicle you most likely drove in tier 1. In this championship, you have 4 races to complete, the most in any championship yet. Fortunately, you've raced on 3 of the tracks before. The Clio, in case you forgot how it handles, is light, nippy and corners well. You won't be sliding about all over the place either, this makes a welcome change from all the rallycross vehicles for sure. Hockenheim is the only new circuit in this championship, and it's also driven in the rain. Thankfully, this doesn't hinder the Clio's handling much at all, it does make it slide a little more round corners, but don't be afraid of putting your foot down. As for the circuit, it's mostly made up of long sweeping corners, the tightest of which is the third corner. It's kinda hidden between two barriers too, so it can suddenly jump out at you. Be careful as you go round it, as part of it is on a slight incline which can affect your control sometimes. The only other major corner is the second, just brake well in time and you'll get by it easily. Castle Combe has one major problem, the track space. Because there's so many cars on the track, it can be very difficult to overtake. The best places to do so are the chicanes, as the AI has trouble gaining speed after them, just don't go and drive straight into the barrier. Most of the other corners can be taken quite easily, just force the Clio round them, and don't worry about spinning out. Donnington's only tight corner is the chicane at the end, the rest of them can either be taken at full speed or requires you to slow down slightly. Eastern Creek has those little chicanes that can win or lose you the race. Don't take them at full speed or you won't make it round them. I shouldn't have to say this by now, but qualifying is everything too, as it's going to get harder to make up those places if you slip behind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** European V6 Championship ** Vehicle used - Renault Clio V6 Sport 1405kg 255bhp 0-60 in 5.8 secs Tracks - Surfers Paradise Circuit (4 laps) Nurburgring Short (4 laps) Zandvoort Club Circuit (4 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - We're racing with the other form of the Clio again for this championship The V6 Sport is heavier and has slower acceleration than the racing Clio. It's still as responsive as it's lighter brother though. It's can't turn AS well, due to it's heavier weight, but most of the time, if you throw it round the corners, it does it's job. Surfers Paradise is essentially a longer version of the Norisring Circuit, which means two long straights split up with chicanes, and tight turns at the end of the straights. Instead of hairpins this time round, there are 90 degree turns to watch out for. The final bend can be tricky to get round, as the infield is covered in a shadow, making it hard to tell when exactly to start turning. Start braking at the 50ft mark, and turn just as the road slightly bends to the right. The best overtaking opportunity is the first chicane and, if you've got enough speed and slipstream, the straights. The second set of chicanes can be taken almost in a straight line, just slow down slightly and make quick, smooth movements through them. This can be a long and boring race, but stick with it, as it's one of the easiest to win in this championship. Nurburgring is probably the hardest track. The hairpin at the start is very tight, brake very early for it. Watch out for that chicane near the end and be prepared for the fairly tight turn after it as well. Zandvoort Club is another new circuit. It's a relatively short track, but it has a few tight turns thrown into it. The second corner is not as wide as you think, as the hill gives it that idea, you need to brake more than it looks like you would have to for it. There's also a tight S-bend not long after this corner, and care is needed when going round it. With four laps to complete each track, there's plenty of time to make up places in this championship, as the AI are somewhat forgiving for once. ** World GT - NGT ** Vehicle used - Ultima GTR 1000kg 500bhp 0-60 in 3.3 secs Tracks - Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Eastern Creek International Raceway (3 laps) Norisring City Race (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - Ok, so you've beaten the GT Cup, but you haven't seen nothing yet. The NGT class are the bad boys, the mean machines, and you're gonna have to race each and every one of them. First up is the Ultima GTR. It has brilliant acceleration and braking power, but sadly it doesn't have the same overall speed as most of the other vehicles, so it's at a disadvantage on straights. Your best bet is to rely on it's great cornering ability to overtake on turns. Phillip Island doesn't have too many troublesome bends. There's a tight right turns just after going over a crest which can catch you off guard, so start braking just after leaving the apex of the crest. Eatern Creek International is the longer of the Eastern Creek circuits. It's pretty much the same as the short circuit, it just has a few extra long sweeping turns added to it. There's a hairpin towards the end of the track, which is one of the circuits hardest braking points. Really, if you can handle the short circuit, you can handle the international one easily. Norisring will probably be the easiest race to win of the three, just don't cock up the overtaking maneuvers at the hairpins and chicane and you'll be fine. ** Formula 1000 ** Vehicle used - Formula J-1000 310kg 150bhp 0-60 in 3.2 secs Tracks - Snetterton (4 laps) Oulton Park Fosters Circuit (3 laps) Silverstone South Circuit (5 laps) Minimum Position - 4th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - You're with the J-1000 again, and not a lot has changed, except for the new paintjob. Once again, the J-1000 is fast, handles corners well and has great braking power. Just be aware that it is an open wheel vehicle, but apart from that, this championship shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Snetterton only has that chicane at the second long straight to worry about, all the other corners can be taken without a lot of hassle. Oulton Park should be familiar territory too. It's second corner can be a bit devious. Start braking as you get up ot the incline to allow yourself room to breath. The final corner needs due care too, and don't oversteer or you'll end up in the wall. The Silverstone South circuit is a new track. The second corner is fairly tight and straight after the third is a chicane. The chicane can easily be taken in second gear though. After the short straight is an s-bend which you only need to slow down a little bit for, despite it looking pretty tight on the map. All the other corners can pretty much be taken at full speed. Overall this should be a very easy championship to win, just don't hit any other people and you'll be fine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Historic Group B Rally ** Vehicle used - Audi Quattro 960kg 500bhp 0-60 in 3.6 secs Tracks - UK Rally Stage 2 Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - N/A Tips - Finally, another rally stage. You're driving the Audi Quattro in this race and, with it being a vintage car, doesn't have the same power as the more modern rally cars. In fact, it has some very oversensitive handling, you hardly need to push the analogue stick for it to turn round corners, so be extra careful. As for the stage, it has quite a few tricky turns in it, the second corner you come to has some direction signs on the left that, if you oversteer you will collide into, annihilating your race time and forcing you to restart. Be aware that the corner tightens and relieve the gas a little bit. You'll see more of these signs along this stage, so be aware of them. After the long 5 and 6 bends after the first checkpoint is a 3 turn with some spectators to the left. There's also a part of the scenery that sticks out here which you can easily run into, when the co-driver announces the corner, slow down immediately. This stage mainly consists of tightening 3 turns one after the other, and is arguably the hardest of the UK rally stages. The time you're looking to beat is around the 2:03:00 mark, so you pretty much have to drive flawlessly. Fortunately, you only have to complete the one stage, so keep on practising it, and you'll soon overcome it. ** Palmer Jaguar JP1 ** Vehicle used - Palmer Jaguar JP1 800kg 261bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit (8 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (8 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - No, you're not reading that wrong, you really do have to race eight laps on both circuits in this championship. Things are starting to get serious now, just remember you don't have to complete both races in one sitting, you could finish one race and come back later to complete the second. Not only is it a long championship, but you have to finish at least third, the first track is new, it's in a vehicle you haven't raced in before AND you have to make a mandatory pitstop in the race. The developers sure were testing you when they made this championship. Anyway, the JP1 isn't the easiest vehicle to handle, you need to slow down sooner into corners, as it can't get round them very well. It IS a very fast vehicle though, getting close to 190MPH on some straights, it's just a shame about it's poor braking capabilities too. You will definitely need to spend some time getting used to the cars handling before tackling this championship. Like I said, the first track is new, and it's quite different to the circuits you've been racing on, the first corners are almost like inverse spirals in shape and are fairly tight. There's another one of these halfway through the track. After this is a tight hairpin, which you have to slow down for considerably if you don't want to end up on the infield. After turn 13 is one of the longest straights on any circuit and (surprise surprise!) is followed by an excrutiatingly tight hairpin. You literally have to drop from around 180MPH down to 20 in a matter of seconds to get round it, watch when the AI brakes and follow their lead, don't try and brake later than them as it won't work this time round, after this it's home free to the starting line, one down, 7 to go, and don't forget about that pitstop. Laguna is easier to race on, but not much easier to WIN on. Take each corner with care, especially that annoying S-bend near the end. Try and take each pitstop at the end of the first lap, and only take in 1 lap of fuel, unless you seriously damage your motor, but then, if you do, you might as well not bother, as the amount of time it takes you to repair severe damage will most likely cost you the race win anyway. ** Formula Ford ** Vehicle used - Formula Ford 450kg 156bhp 0-60 in 3.5 secs Tracks - Castle Combe (5 laps) Donnington National Circuit (5 laps) Mondello International Circuit (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - This is another long ass championship, with 15 laps to race altogether. At least this time you're racing with a familiar car and on familiar tracks. The only major concern throughout this championship is the Ford's open wheels. It's gonna be hard, but avoid contact at all costs. The only corners on Castle Combe you need to worry about are the chicanes, as this is the place where you're most likely to lose your wheels. Don't try any risky moves this time round. Donnington should also be a piss easy race to win by now, as you've raced on it countless times by now and should know where the tight corners are, just remember about the Ford's tendency to slide on some of the tighter turns. Mondello is the only circuit that could vaguely give you some grief, as it has those two tight hairpins before and after the pit straight, but just brake in time and, even with those two corners, you should sail to victory. This can become a tedious championship, what with there being 5 laps on each race, but stick with it, as this is a really easy champinship to win, especially as we're getting into the later tiers now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 1970's GT Cup ** Vehicle used - Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo 890kg 473bhp 0-60 in 3.6 secs Tracks - Spa-Francorchamps Sportscar (2 laps) Bahrain External Circuit (4 laps) Hockenheim National Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - We start off tier 13 with quite a hard championship. The Lancia is a difficult car to control. Much like the Jaguar JP1, it can barely make it round corners and at lower speeds, it tends to slide about. Speaking of sliding, the slightest knock to the Lancia will send it skidding around the track, so due care and attention is needed whilst on track. We have two new courses to contend with in this championship too. The Spa circuit is pretty long, it's first corners are situated up a hill, followed by quite a long straight and an S-curve afterwards. You'll soon notice that the track is quite bumpy, and the Lancia is bounced about quite a lot, which just adds to the danger of sliding. After the S-curve is a 180 degree right turn, drop down to 2nd gear for this. The next few corners aren't too much of a worry so long as you slow down for them. There's a devilishly tight chicane halfway through the second straight, slow down right to first gear to get through it. The final corner is a tight hairpin that also needs to be taken in first gear. It's a long track, but you only have two laps on it to get first, so keep pushing. The Bahrain circuit is literally made up of tight turns and long straights. Most of the turns can't be taken on anything higher than second gear or you'll be in the infield for sure. This track also has a bumpy profile, so again, care is needed to avoid sliding. The first corner is the tightest and is on a crest. Take this corner in a sweeping motion and use the tarmac to the right of the second turn to your advantage. You've been to Hockenheim before, only to add salt to the wound to the Lancia's handling, you'll be driving in rain! Not a good thing. Hockenheim's tight corners will be the ultimate test for the Lancia. You need to slow down for the second corner halfway down the straight, otherwise the Lancia will never get round it. The fourth corner has to be taken in first gear and the corner straight after in second. The final corner to watch out for is the 180 degree turn near the end, slow down into second for it. This championship will certainly test your patience. Practise on the Spa circuit to learn the track and to get a feel for the Lancia, then concentrate on winning the Spa and Bahrain tracks, as Hockenheim is the hardest to win on. ** HPDC V8 Supercar Series ** Vehicle used - Ford Falcon BA 1355kg 620bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Eastern Creek International Raceway (5 laps) Queensland Raceway (5 laps) Adelaide Street Circuit (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Ford Falcon will seem like a breath of fresh air compared to the Lancia. It's a drifter, and can easily slide round corners, while at the same time keep a steady grip on the track. Don't just try and go round the corners without sliding, as that was not what the Falcon was built to do. Eastern Creek Int isn't as major of a threat as it usually is. You can literally throw the Falcon round bends and come out unscathed. The only major cause for concern is the 180 degree turn near the end of the track. Drop down to second gear for it and slide the car round it. Remember to slow down for the second corner also, and the rest should be a piece of cake. Queensland is a new track, but it's not an overly difficult one. It is pretty much 4 long straights with, yes you guessed it, a tight corner afterwards, apart from the first corner, which can be taken at relatively high speeds. For every other corner, drop down to at least third gear and gently drift round them. Straighten the car up as you exit and get ready for the next tight corner. Adelaide is pretty easy too. Keep to the racing line through the 90 degree turns at the start of the track and drop to at leasy second for the tight turn after the long straight. Because of the Falcon's great cornering and braking power, this championship is pretty easy to win. ** Palmer Caterham Challenge ** Vehicle used - Caterham 7 490kg 200bhp 0-60 in 4.0 secs Tracks - Snetterton (4 laps) Silverstone National Circuit (4 laps) Oran Park Raceway (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Caterham 7 makes a reappearance for this championship. Like last time, there shouldn't be too many problems you'll face in this championship, as the Caterham can handle corners surprisingly well. The corner after the first straight at Snetterton and the chicane at the end are the only concerns on the track, take both at minimum speed and don't try and overtake on them or it'll end in tears. Silverstone is another laughably easy circuit. The final corner is the only vaguely tight corner, but even saying that you can still take it in third gear. If you can't get first place on this, you may as well quit now. Oran Park should be the only marginally challenging circuit to race on. It's tight first corners are the places you'll most likely slip up. Take these corners gently and slowly and the other corners only need to be slowed down for a little bit. The main thing that'll stop you from winning this championship is the other cars. One tap from them to your wheels and youll be on the dirt in an instant. So, although this is a really easy championship, I suggest trying to get a good qualifying position, to save you some hassle from the AI. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Class A 4WD Track Challenge ** Vehicle used - Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Version 1270kg 290bhp 0-60 in 4.2 secs Tracks - Bahrain Internal Circuit (3 laps) Spa-Francorchamps Sportscar (3 laps) Snetterton (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - You're now racing the class A cars in the 4WD event. This version of the Subaru is lighter, nippier and has better acceleration than it's lower class counterpart. It still can't handle corners well, and needs to be slid round them. It also seems to have a lower top speed than the Lancer and you'll find it hard to pull away from the pack, so qualifying in a good position is necessary. The internal Bahrain circuit is a lot more challenging than the external track. There are a LOT of tight turns to worry about, which you need to brake early for in the Subaru. The main causes for concern are the hairpin bend halfway through the track and the final corner, both of which are very tight, start braking well in time, drop down to first and slide the car round them. The first corner is pretty deceptive. It looks easy to get round but is actually tighter than it looks, make sure not to take it at full speed. The Spa circuit is thankfully a lot easier to navigate than when you were driving the Lancia. It's still quite a demanding course, so don't get too complacent. The first chicane after the long straight comes up quickly, second gear should get you through it nicely. When you come to the long sweeping left turn, slow down for it, otherwise you WILL go into the sand trap. The second long straight also has a tight chicane which you need to brake for well in advance, and take it in first gear, certainly no higher than second. The final hairpin before the pit straight needs to be taken in first also. When you start the second lap, make sure to slow down slightly for the incline, or you'll lose grip and slide out. Snetterton isn't too hard, just take the chicanes sliwly and this'll be the easiest race to win of the three. Make sure not to overslide too much round the corners and you'll come out on top in this championship. ** US Dirt Series ** Vehicle used - Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 1627kg 330bhp 0-60 in 5.6 secs Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 2 (5 laps) National Dirt Raceway Stage 1 (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - You're racing in the Firebird again, but this time it's on dirt ovals instead of full circuits. The Firebirds awkward cornering doesn't really matter on these circuits, as all you're doing is turning left round wide bends. I shouldn't really have to offer that much advice for this championship. The stage 2 raceway is so short and with no major hazards at all, and the stage 1 raceway is simply a larger version of stage 2. So long as you keep to the inside line on both tracks, you're laughing, especially seeing as how the AI makes so many cock-ups during the races, either running into each other or oversteering the corners and slamming into the wall. One of the easiest 1st place finishes to pick up. ** 1930's Vintage Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Mercedes-Benz W25 910kg 345bhp 0-60 in 3.7 secs Tracks - Barbagallo Raceway (6 laps) Zandvoort National Circuit (5 laps) Sandown International Motor Raceway (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Bet you're glad there's an easy championship before this huh? Yes, the nightmare that is the W25 returns to torment us across three more tracks. The stakes are risen higher this time too, with a minimum finish of 3rd and at least 5 laps to race on each track. This is more of an endurance test than a championship. As with the last championship, qualifying in no less than second will make your life a lot easier, but it's still gonna be a hell of a ride. Barbagallo starts us off nice and difficult. Every turn now needs to be taken as though it was a tight turn, and that is very carefully, especially the turn at the bottom of the hill. If you don't slow down quick enough and you're behind the pack, say bye bye to one of your wheels. Let the W25 naturally slide round corners, but keep it steady so it doesn't overshoot. Zandvoort is no better, if not worse. The first corner will be hell on earth to get round if you qualified in a bad place, DON'T try and overtake on this corner. The hairpin you encounter is the toughest corner of the lot, take it in first, brake early and hope no one slams you from behind. The tight turn afterwards is also very tough, don't pull any fancy maneuvers during these turns. Now, why not finish a tough championship with a tough course? Sandown has those annoying 90 degree turns that can cost you the race at any time, mainly due to the fact that the AI slows down a lot sooner than you need to, which forces you to slow down too. The tightest turn occurs near the end of the track, but treat each one the same. Slow down to at least second and slide round them. The main rules to follow for this championship are to not take any risks, qualify well and don't try to take anyone out (as if you would anyway.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Renault A110 International Rally ** Vehicle used - Alpine A110 1600 S Group 4 685kg 155bhp 0-60 in 6.3 secs Tracks - UK Rally Stage 1 Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - N/A Tips - You've driven the Alpine before, but that was on a rallycross track, this is on a full rally course, and it's one you haven't raced on before. Strangely, the Alpine seems to handle better on this course than on the previous championship's tracks, which is a good thing. Stage 1 of the UK rally seems to be a combination of stage 1 and 2 in the way of hazards. There's a jump at the start of the course which can be misjudged easily, so watch out. There are also numerous trees and logs by the side of the road for the first part of the track, so try not to go off the track. The first tight turn comes after a series of 5 turns and leads on to another tight right hander. Be careful as you near the manor, as there's another tight left turn. Not long after this is yet another tight right turn onto tarmac. Soon after you pass a signpost on the left is another tight right turn, don't worry about going onto the grass for this one. Not only is there trees, but also barriers and road signs to watch out for for this part of the track, so veering off course will most likely cause you serious damage. Make sure to turn onto the dirt and not carry straight on the tarmac, as that's the wrong way. From then on until the second chackpoint it is all 3 turns. There's a big jump not long after, which you need to slow down a bit for, unless you want to damage your car. The last part is the easiest. There's a hairpin not long after you go onto tarmac for the third time in the race. Brake gently for this so as not to spin out. After this you're home and dry. The time you're looking to beat is around 3:35:00. ** British GT - GT Cup ** Vehicle used - Noble M12GT0-3R 1080kg 352bhp 0-60 in 3.7 secs Tracks - Oulton Park International Circuit (3 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - What's this, we left a GT class car out? Apparantly so. The Noble has the fastest acceleration of the 5 GT class cars. It also has a good braking capabilities, however, there's always a con to outweigh the pro. The Noble is very sensitive to being knocked, and can spin out if it's hit by another vehicle, so take care when around other vehicles. It also doesn't have a great top speed, so in a straight line race, it'll lose out to most of the other vehicles. Oulton's chicanes are the only real headache. You can take the first one in third gear if you're feeling reckless and have plenty of space, otherwise stick to second. The second chicane is the tighter of the two, so take it at a slower pace. Apart from these two, Oulton has nothing you haven't seen before. Silverstone poses no real threats, the first tight S-bend is the only real area where you could spin out, just take it in second gear and the rest of the track should be easy. Brands Hatch only has one tight corner, and that's the 180 degree turn at the start, most of the other corners shouldn't cause any problems at all. Despite the easy tracks, this is the hardest GT cup to win. Why? Because the AI drive so goddamn perfectly, it's like they took a shot of adrenaline before they went out on track. I strongly suggest adjusting the cars settings so it gets the fastest speed it can handle, otherwise you're not gonna make any higher than 5th in this championship. ** Formula BMW ADAC Championship ** Vehicle used - Formula BMW 545kg 140bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - Eastern Creek International Raceway (3 laps) Barbagallo Raceway (3 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - This is your second outing with the Formula BMW, and it's on a lot more technical circuits than last time, so you'll have to use those brakes more. Thanks to the BMW's great braking power, the hairpin turns in Eastern Creek are childs play now. Don't take them TOO quickly though, as the BMW can slide out from under itself if you take them too tightly. The hairpin towards the end of the lap is the tightest turn, so don't brake too late for it, or you may lock up and go into the sand trap. Barbagallo's only major braking point is the final corner. Try to brake as late as possible though, as the BMW can handle the turn better than other vehicles you've driven. The rest of the corners should be a cake walk. Zandvoort is the most technical circuit of the three. It has numerous tight turns and hairpins, but these are easier to overcome in the BMW, so try and take risks during this race, like the description for the track said. If something doesn't work out, just restart and have another go. You should have easily won the last two races, so you can afford to lose a couple of places at Zandvoort. Still, it's always nice to come first all the time isn't it? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 1960's GT ** Vehicle used - Chevrolet Corvette L88 Sunray DX 1120kg 580bhp 0-60 in 4.5 secs Tracks - Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Dover International Raceway (6 laps) Nashville Road Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid Tips - You're now halfway through world tour. You've come a long way, but there's still 16 tiers to go through, so don't get complacent. The first championship is a pretty unique one, featuring three types of courses, a circuit, an oval and a mixture of the two together. It also features the Corvette, which you haven't driven before. The Corvette, like the description for it says, has a tendency to oversteer round corners, so instead of taking them at full throtte, ease off the gas a little to avoid this. It's overall a pretty average vehicle, not the best but certainly not the worst. One thing I will point out is that the AI have turned on super-aggression mode in this championship, and will force you and other drivers out of their way to come first, which is not a good thing, so be aware of it. Laguna Seca is a pretty calm track really, that S-bend near the end is it's only real gripe. Make sure to brake early for each bend you come to, as the Corvette doesn't have the same power as more modern vehicles, and can find them a little tricky. Dover should be the easiest race for you to win, just be careful as you go round the bends, as if a rival fishtails you, you're gonna get 19 other cars ploughing into your side at top speed. The Nashville circuit is the last track. The start/finish straight is just like the Nashville oval, but the other half is filled with tight hairpin turns and 90 degree bends that can become crowded with cars, so a good qualifying position is recommended for this race. As much as it seems you can, don't go onto the grass, or you'll be liable for a warning for cutting corners. Take the hairpins in first and the 90 degree turns in second and bomb it down the finish straight. Quite an interesting start to the 16th tier no? ** 4x4 Monster Series ** Vehicle used - Thunder Mountain 3732kg 1500bhp 0-60 in 5.0 secs Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 3 (3 laps) National Dirt Raceway Stage 5 (2 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The monster truck's back to have some fun. This is the first championship where you have to come at least 2nd to pass it. Fortunately. it's pretty easy to do so. You shouldn't have to let go of the gas at all for stage 3, even the tight first corner, as the monster truck can easily get round it. It's also a very short course, and those three laps will be over before you know it. Stage 5 isn't much more of a challenge. The only thing you have to look out for is to take the jumps at the right speed. None of the corners should have to be slowed down for, and the main concern is actually just trying to get past the opposition, who are more than happy to shove you out of the way to get in front of you.It can be quite tricky to overtake on the stages, so if you want, try and qualify in a good position. ** Supertruck International Series ** Vehicle used - Strana Supertruck 3700kg 850bhp 0-60 in 5.8 secs Tracks - Sandown International Motor Raceway (3 laps) Eastern Creek International Raceway (3 laps) Barbagallo Raceway (3 laps) Oran Park South Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - The behemoth that is the strana supertruck is ready for another run. Qualifying is essential, as overtaking on any of the circuits is very difficult due to the trucks large size. The tracks become shorter and easier as you progress during this championship. Sandowns chicanes are a nightmare to get round, you need to start braking just before you get to the 100ft sign on each of them. The tightest corner is after the long straight towards the end of the track, start braking for it halfway round the long left hander, even if it looks like it's a long way off. Eastern Creek's corners have to be taken slowly as most of them are pretty tight. The hairpins can be taken in second, but then so does pretty much every other corner. This is a pretty slow circuit, and the truck will likely have a hard time on this course, but don't worry, it gets easier now. Barbagallo has much wider turns than the last two circuits, and is much easier to overtake on. The final corner needs a lot of braking space, as you're coming at it at top speed, and the trucks braking ability is what you'd expect from a truck, crap. Most of the other 180 degree turns can be taken in third. This Oran park circuit is a new course. It's also the shortest, and that's not all. It's also the first course to feature stormy weather. From what I've seen, there's not a lot of difference between storm and rain, except stormy conditions seem, well, wetter. This certainly makes the trucks braking even more precarious. The track starts out like Barbagallo, with a 180 degree turn, but because of the rain, it needs to be taken slower than usual. For most of the circuit, it has pretty wide turns, but the final corner is the tightest, as usual. Take it in third, but make a long sweeping motion to get round it. This is also the best chance to overtake in the circuit, try and go round the left hand side of the opposition, as they have a hard time accelerating from the turn. This isn't an easy chapionship to win thanks to the first two tracks, but do well in the last two and you'll manage it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** RWD Anniversary Rally ** Vehicle used - Lancia Stratos 880kg 280bhp 0-60 in 6.0 secs Tracks - UK Rally Stage 1 UK Rally Stage 2 Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - N/A Tips - It's a classic rally that kicks things off in tier 17. Strage how there only seems to be rally stages set in the UK huh? Anyway. The Stratos isn't the fastest rally car you've driven, but it's by no means the worst. Like most other rally cars, the general idea is to drift round corners and straighten up on the exit. The Stratos' handling may seem a bit slippery to begin with, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite responsive. It also has good braking power, so those tight hairpin turns in the stages will prove easier to navigate round. Seeing as how you've been to the UK stages so many times before I shouldn't have to give general tips to you anymore. By now you should know where all the major hazards are along each stage. Just be wary of objects on the side of the road that could impede you (like the logs at the start of stage one,) and take care round the hairpin turns. The times you're looking to beat are around 3:26:00 for stage one and around 2:34:00 for stage two. ** 1960's Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Team Lotus Type 49 980kg 190bhp 0-60 in 6.4 secs Tracks - Circuit Park Zandvoort (4 laps) Spa-Francorchamps GP Circuit (3 laps) Nurburgring Short (2 laps) Silverstone International Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Another classic race here. The Lotus has some pretty unresponsive handling and needs to slow down considerably for corners. It's also an open wheel car, so even more care is needed. Granted, the handling is nowhere near as bad as the W25 but you really do feel like you're forcing the car round corners it doesn't want to go round. With that said, let's look at the tracks. Zandvoort is a very daunting first track for the Lotus. The first corner, unlike previous outings to it, will need to be taken very slowly. The corner straight after needs care too, or you'll wind up in the gravel trap on the left and ruin your chances. Keep in mind that you'll most likely not take any tight corner any higher than second gear in this race. Even the slighter corners need to be slowed down for, that's how bad the Lotus is at cornering. The most likely cause for accidents are the second corner, the first hairpin and the tight right hander that leads onto a sweeping left turn. Take no risks on these turns and if you feel like you're leading off to one side, you're still going too fast for the turn, so slow down more. The Spa circuit is not much better. Right from that get go there's that terrible hairpin to go round. It's first gear or bust for it. You can lose grip going up the hill too so slow down a tad for it. After the long straight is the tight right-left-right turns followed by a sweeping right hander. Drop down to second gear for both these sets of turns. The final corners are a tight chicane. Take them in, yep, you guessed it, second gear, as with most of the other turns in this circuit. Things don't get much better in Nurburgring. Once again you're faced with a tight hairpin to start off with, followed by some more tight corners. Yep, take them in second gear. The little chicane just before the final corner will be the one to watch out for as it creeps up on you from nowhere. Brake just before the apex of the incline and you should get round it. Finally, you get some slight relief in Silverstone. Most of the turns are still tight for the Lotus, but at least you have a number of straights to pick up places. The right corner after the first straight needs the most care or you'll end up in the direction sign straight ahead. This is a very difficult championship to win, so don't worry if you don't breeze through it first time. ** HPDC ADAC Supercar Series ** Vehicle used - Ford Falcon BA 1355kg 620bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Bathurst (4 laps) Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Eastern Creek International Raceway (4 laps) Queensland Raceway (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - We're with the Falcon again, and there's four more tracks you have to conquer with it. Bathurst is a new circuit to start us off. It begins with a 90 degree turn followed by a long straight. Attack the corner hard as the Ford can easily get round it. There's a tight narrow corner not long after the straight that can get pretty crowded, try not to be forced into the wall by the other drivers. Most of this next section is also very narrow, and overtaking is pretty much impossible along it, so my advice is to try not to. About halfway down that straight is a small crest followed by some tight weaving bends, if you're going too fast into them you'll fly over the crest and land in the gravel trap, slowing you down, so be prepared for it. There's another long straight coming up, watch out for the turn at the end, drop down to around third gear then power the BA out of it. The final corner is another 90 degree turn, so take it like you did the first corner. For the most part, you can keep the gas held down for this circuit. Phillip Island shouldn't pose too many concerns. The set of sweeping turns near the start can be taken at third gear, and the Falcon can easily glide round them. The tight turn towards the end of the race is the only major hazard, but take it in second and you're laughing on this track. For some very strange reason, you're racing on Eastern Creek and Queensland Raceway again (maybe the developers ran out of ideas?) so refer back to tier 13 for tips on those particular tracks. The most difficult track seems to be Bathurst, mainly due to it being a new track and there not being any overtaking opportunities, so practise on this for a bit to find out the best racing line to take. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Type-R Trans Cup ** Vehicle used - Honda Civic Type R 1204kg 200bhp 0-60 in 6.6 secs Tracks - Brands Hatch Short Circuit (4 laps) Snetterton (4 laps) Mondello International Circuit (4 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Honda Civic is without doubt one of the slowest vehicles you'll get to drive. Does this make for easy driving though? Yes. The Civic isn't able to slide round corners as well as some other vehicles, but because of it's slow speed, you hardly need to let off the gas around corners. This does however make it very hard to overtake for some reason. Brands Hatch will be no worry at all. The best spot to overtake is the tight second corner. Everything else should be mandatory by now. Snetterton is a piece of cake too. The chicane at the end is the best place to overtake. You can pretty much go full speed round the rest of the circuit. Just drop your speed for the turn after the long straight and you'll be fine. Mondello is driven in the rain, so be wary of slippery surfaces. The rain actually helps the Civic to slide round corners more, which is good, as Mondello has plenty of them. Most of the tight corners have to be taken in second gear, although the 90 degree turns can be taken in third. Laguna is actually the most difficult circuit, which isn't saying a whole lot. The S-bend is the worst corner, but even that can be taken in third. The final corner is the tightest, but can still be taken in second, which shows how easy it is to get round the corners with the Civic. Overall this is a very easy but overly boring championship to win. Just make sure you don't fall asleep. ** World GT - NGT ** Vehicle used - Mosler MT900R 1100kg 440bhp 0-60 in 3.6 secs Tracks - Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Bathurst (3 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - After a long hiatus, we're back with the world GT cars. This time, you're driving the Mosler. Rick pretty much sums up the car in the cutscene. Incredible top speed and handling is what you'll find here. You'll certainly have no problem keeping up with the competition with this beaut. But let's not get complacent. Hockenheim is quite a tricky circuit. the second corner is a hard one, brake well in time for it (though with the Mosler's braking ability, you can easily go down the gears in seconds.) After the straight is a nice old hairpin. Brake when you get to the first distance indicator on the left. Another tight left turn follows shortly after which needs to be taken in second gear. The last tricky corner is the 180 turn near the end, slow down to third for it. Laguna is easier in comparison. The S-bend and the hairpin at the end are the hardest braking points and also the deadliest. Drop to second and first respecively for them. Take in to consideration the Mosler's slight inability to maneuver round some corners for this track, as some which seem you can take at full speed will be very different indeed, so drop some pseed for most of the corners. Bathurst has almost no great overtaking opportunities thanks to it's narrow track, so a good qualifying position is vital. Remember those bends on the crest halfway through the track? You need to be even more careful now because of the Mosler's speed. Also be wary of the tight bend after the same straight. It's one of the tightest corners and cen determine your position at the end of the race. Zandvoort will be the most challenging circuit. Use all the braking and turning skills you used in the last three tracks to their fullest here. The first corner is the tightest, also watch out for the chicane near the end of the track or you'll wind up with more than a lost place or two. ** European V6 Championship ** Vehicle used - Renault Clio V6 Sport 1405kg 255bhp 0-60 in 5.8 secs Tracks - Motopark Oschersleben 'B' (4 laps) Mondello Internationl Circuit (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - It's pretty weird how there's only two tracks to beat in this championship. Not only that, but they're pretty simple circuits you've been to many times before, and with a vehicle that's pretty easy to handle. Really, this should have been in one of the lower tiers, but let's not complain hey? Oschersleben 'B' has a few 180 degree turns, but the Clio can drift round them with ease. You won't need to drop any lower than third gear all through the track. The only time you'll need to do so is the second 180 deggree turn, but it'll only be for a millisecond. Mondello is the same story. The hairpin at the start and end of the pit straight are the heaviest braking points. The main idea of the Clio is to really attack the corners and fling it round them. Pretty much all the corners have to be taken in second gear apart from the hairpins mentioned, which have to be taken almost at first. This should be an easy win for you. But don't worry, there's harder things to come. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** US Muscle Car Tour ** Vehicle used - Buick Gran Sport 455 1493kg 360bhp 0-60 in 6.4 secs Tracks - Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Gateway International Road (4 laps) Brands Hatch Short Circuit (4 laps) Motopark Oschersleben 'B' (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - It's been a while since you were at this championship, but you finally get to drive the Buick. Unlike the Pontiac, it handles a lot more responsively and can take corners much easier. It's the slower accelerating of the two cars, but it's ultimately the better of the two. Laguna is arguably the trickiest circuit in the championship, but don't let that scare you, it's still really easy. Not only does the AI slow down more than it needs to for tight corners, but they continuously barge each other onto the gravel traps, allowing you to storm past them. For most of the corners you can just ease off the gas slightly and drift round them, the only considerable drops are the S-bend and final corner, but don't worry about slowing all the way down, brake late and slide the car round them. You drove on Gateway with the Pontiac, but it'll seem a lot easier this time round. The only hard part of this track is actually overtaking the other cars, so to make your life easier, qualify high up. The AI may pass you on the straight, but you can easily catch up when it comes to the sweeping corners, as again, they slow down much more than is necessary. Brands Hatch should need no advice by now, it's such an easy track with no real hazards at all that getting first place should seem like taking candy from a baby. Again, to save you the hassle of trying to overtake the clueless AI, qualify high. Oschersleben is pretty much the same deal as Brands Hatch, qualify in a good position and attack the corners at pace. ** Japanese Works Cup ** Vehicle used - Nismo Fairlady Z S-Tune 1080kg 287bhp 0-60 in 5.4 secs Tracks - Surfers Paradise Circuit (3 laps) Adelaide Street Circuit (2 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Here's the second of the two cars you get to race in this championship. The Nismo is a lot like the NSX, except it's slower off the mark, so don't be surprised if all the NSX's pass you on the grid. It's a very responsive car though, and the turns in the two street circuits you race in won't be much trouble. The chicanes in Surfers Paradise are a real pain in the backside, but they're also the best places to overtake at. I usually drop to about third or second for them depending on how I've approached them. With the twisty turns halfway down the second straight, what I tend to do is brake to about fourth, take my thumb off the X button and weave the car round them, then pile on the acceleration afterwards. Don't let the final corner surprise you either. You should just barely make out where the infield is on the left, but go down to second gear to make sure you get round it in one piece. Adelaide's corners use pretty much the same strategy, drop down to low third gear and throw the Nismo round them. Thr corner after the long straight can be taken in second, but you have to brake as soon as you come up to the first distance indicator on the left to do so. I've noticed the AI that controls the NSX's tend to slide their back ends out a lot, causing them to lose a lot of speed and if you're not careful, you could ram straight into the back of them, so be warned. With that said, this should be a quick and simple championship in the bag, which is good, because..... ** Off-Road Buggy Nationals ** Vehicle used - Turnham Sandframe M4 Tracks - International Rallycross Long (3 laps) National Dirt Raceway Stage 4 (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - The Sandframe is back. Admittedly, it's not as bas at cornering as the Baja buggy, but it can still be unreliable. Not only that, but you're racing on a new course which can be deceptively tricky. This version of the rallycross track is the full course, with many transitions from dirt to tarmac. Now, the Sandframe DOES handle well on the tarmac, but naturally loses a lot of grip on the dirt sections.The first tarmac section you come across has a little hump at the top which can be dangerous if you misjudge it. Don't take it straight on, or you'll crash straight into the wall. Go at an angle from right to left and you'll be fine. The final corner can be a pain too. If you slide around it too much, you'll come to a standstill, which will cost you valuable places. For the rest of the other track, it's a case of staying on the track, not sliding too much and not making any silly mistakes at all, which can be said for stage four too. Just try and not veer too far from the racing line and slow your speed down for some of the bigger bumps on the track. Having said that, it's not an easy championship to win, at least for me anyway. If anyone has a sure fire way of coming first on this the let me know and you'll be credited. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 1970's GT Cup ** Vehicle used - BMW E6 M1 Group 4 1020kg 470bhp 0-60 in 4.4 secs Tracks - Mondello International Circuit (3 laps) Hockenheim National Circuit (4 laps) Bahrain External Circuit (4 laps) Surfers Paradise Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - Like the other 1970's championship, this is no walk in the park. Much like the Lancia, the BMW E6 can't handle going round corners at high speeds, and is very susceptible to spinning out if hit. Not only that, but the first track is during stormy conditions, meaning traction is even less. Speaking of that, Mondello is usually a pretty easy circuit to get round, but not this time however. You have to at least double your braking distance for all the corners if you want to get round them, and you mustn't go round them too fast or the back end of the car will most definitely slide out from under you. The general consensus is not to take any corner higher than second gear and to race cautiously, naturally the two hairpins are the slowest corners, and will most likely have you taking it in first gear. Thankfully, that's the most difficult track out of the way, but don't celebrate just yet. Hockenheim is a demanding circuit with a lot of tight corners. The first corner needs to be taken down a gear, and the tight second, third and fourth corners can be taken in second gear. Although the next corner looks easy, you have to take it in second too. The last few corners can be taken quite fast, but watch you don't smash into the AI round them. Bahrain has some nasty corners. Most of them are so tight, you have to take them in first gear. You can't afford to make any mistakes on this track as it's surrounded by sand traps that are a bitch to get out of. Surfers Paradise is relatively easy, but slow down more for the chicanes and hairpin turns obviously. You'll be pleased to know though, that the AI makes quite a few mistakes and don't pose too much of a threat. ** Xpower SV Shield ** Vehicle used - MG Xpower SVR 1500kg 385bhp 0-60 in 4.9 secs Tracks - Sandown International Motor Raceway (3 laps) Spa-Francorchamps GP Circuit (2 laps) Donnington Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - You've driven an MG before, but that was the rally car, this is the racing version. It's a nice little ride. With it being a RWD, you can expect a lot of drifting round corners. It's not overly difficult to drive, sometimes it can be a bit unresponsive, but you've driven a lot worse. This championship doesn't offer anything new you haven't encountered before. The Spa circuit will probably be the only one that gives you trouble, with it being such a long circuit, it can become frustrating if you mess up. But by now, you should have a general idea where each hard braking point is on each circuit. There's not a lot else I can say about this championship, just qualify well and do your best. ** Formula Palmer Audi ** Vehicle used - Formula Palmer Audi 620kg 275bhp 0-60 in 2.8 secs Tracks - Motopark Oschersleben (3 laps) Eastern Creek International Raceway (3 laps) Barbagallo Raceway (3 laps) Oran Park Raceway (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - This is a pretty tense championship. Not because the tracks are hard, far from it, but the AI will always be on your ass the whole way through it, so don't make any bad mistakes. Fortunately, all the tracks are relatively easy. The Palmer Audi can quite easily get round most of the corners. The only real tight ones are in the Oran Park circuits half figure of eight section. Don't forget to use that all important boost along the straights, and don't use them just before switching gears or it'll cancel it out. Qualifying in the top three is definitely a must for this championship, as the competition is hot. So long as you follow all those rules, you should do fine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** V8 Supercars ** Vehicle used - Holden Commodore VZ 1355kg 620bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Queensland Raceway (5 laps) Pukekohe Park Raceway (5 laps) Symmons Plains Raceway (5 laps) Hidden Valley (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - ** British GT - NGT ** Vehicle used - Corvette CSR 1139kg 600bhp 0-60 in 4.6 secs Tracks - Donnington National Circuit (5 laps) Mondello National Circuit (5 laps) Snetterton (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - ** Ultima Can-Am Tour ** Vehicle used - Ultima Can Am 2001 925kg 0-60 in 2.4 secs Tracks - Adelaide Street Circuit (7 laps) Surfers Paradise Circuit (7 laps) Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (7 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (7 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** US Speedtruck Challenge ** Vehicle used - Chevrolet Silverado Truck Tracks - Dover International Raceway (6 laps) Gateway International (5 laps) Nashville Super Speedway (5 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - ** 4x4 Rallycross ** Vehicle used - Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Version 1267kg 520bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - International Rallycross Long (3 laps) Brands Hatch Rallycross (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - ** Palmer Jaguar JP1 ** Vehicle used - Palmer Jaguar JP1 800kg 261bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Oulton Park International Raceway (10 laps) Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (10 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Formula 3 ** Vehicle used - Formula 3 550kg 200bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - Sandown International Motor Raceway (5 laps) Donnington Grand Prix Circuit (5 laps) Oulton Park International Circuit (5 laps) Castle Combe (5 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ** Group N Rally ** Vehicle used - Lancer Evolution VIII Group N 1480kg 276bhp 0-60 in 4.8 secs Tracks - UK Rally Stage 2 UK Rally Stage 3 Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - N/A Tips - ** DTM ** Vehicle used - Opel Vectra GTS V8 1080kg 480bhp 0-60 in 3.1 secs Tracks - Norisring City Race (3 laps) Brno (3 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (3 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session then Super Pole, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Indycar Series ** Vehicle used - Panoz GForce 692kg 626bhp 0-60 in 4.0 secs Tracks - Gateway International (6 laps) Dover International Raceway (9 laps) Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (5 laps) Nashville Super Speedway (6 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - ** British GT - NGT ** Vehicle used - TVR T400R 1100kg 440bhp 0-60 in 3.2 secs Tracks - Castle Combe (10 laps) Oulton Park International Circuit (10 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (10 laps) Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (10 laps) Minimum Position - Finish above Piers Johnson or Steven Brady Qualifying & race start - timed session, rolling Tips - ** 1960's Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Team Lotus Type 49 980kg 190bhp 0-60 in 6.4 secs Tracks - Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (5 laps) Motopark Oschersleben (4 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit (2 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 1980's Williams Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Williams Honda FW11B 540kg 800bhp Tracks - Circuit Park Zandvoort (5 laps) Spa-Francorchamps GP Circuit (4 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ** 4x4 Off-Road Tour ** Vehicle used - Volkswagen Race-Tourareg 1750kg 231bhp Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 5 (3 laps) National Dirt Raceway Stage 4 (4 laps) International Rallycross Long (3 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - ** Type-R Trans Cup ** Vehicle used - Honda Civic Type R 1204kg 200bhp 0-60 in 6.6 secs Tracks - Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Oran Park Raceway (4 laps) Silverstone National Circuit (4 laps) Snetterton (4 laps) Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** DTM ** Vehicle used - Opel Vectra GT V8 1080kg 480bhp 0-60 in 3.1 secs Tracks - Istanbul Grand Prix (3 laps) Motopark Oschersleben (4 laps) Spa-Francorchamps GP Circuit (3 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - timed session then Super Pole, grid start Tips - ** Mitsubishi Motors Rally Trophy ** Vehicle used - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Group A 1360kg 300bhp 0-60 in 4.8 secs Tracks - UK Rally Stage 1 UK Rally Stage 2 UK Rally Stage 3 Minimum Position - 1st Qualifying & race start - N/A Tips - ** Ultima Can-Am Tour ** Vehicle used - Ultima Can Am 2001 925kg 0-60 in 2.4 secs Tracks - Hockenheim National Circuit (7 laps) Bathurst (7 laps) Mondello International Circuit (7 laps) Barbagallo Raceway (7 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** GT Tuning Cup ** Vehicle used - Koenig GT-D 1700kg 800bhp 0-60 in 3.5 secs Tracks - Spa-Francorchamps GP Circuit (3 laps) Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Bathurst (3 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ** Dodge Super Speedway Tour ** Vehicle used - Dodge Charger 1545kg 800bhp Tracks - Nashville Super Speedway (6 laps) Gateway International (5 laps) Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (5 laps) Dover International Raceway (8 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, rolling Tips - ** Formula 3 ** Vehicle used - Formula 3 550kg 200bhp 0-60 in 3.0 secs Tracks - Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (5 laps) Oulton Park International Circuit (5 laps) Snetterton (5 laps) Castle Combe (5 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 28 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 1980's Williams Grand Prix ** Vehicle used - Williams Renault FW18 750bhp Tracks - Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (6 laps) Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit (6 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (6 laps) Motopark Oschersleben (6 laps) Minimum Position - Finish above either Bobby Knight or Melvin Stock Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ** V8 Supercars ** Vehicle used - Ford Falcon BA 1355kg 620bhp 0-60 in 3.9 secs Tracks - Eastern Creek International Raceway (6 laps) Bathurst (6 laps) Surfers Paradise Circuit (6 laps) Oran Park Raceway (6 laps) Minimum Position - Finish above either Mark Skaife or Max Wilson Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 29 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** DTM ** Vehicle used - Opel Vectra GTS V8 1080kg 480bhp 0-60 in 3.1 secs Tracks - Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (5 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (5 laps) Nurburgring Short (5 laps) Eurospeedway Lausitz (5 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - timed session then Super Pole, grid start Tips - ** GT Tuning Cup ** Vehicle used - Gemballa GTR 750 Evo 1230kg 750bhp 0-60 in 3.5 secs Tracks - Hockenheim Grand Prix Circuit (4 laps) Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit (5 laps) Circuit Park Zandvoort (4 laps) Minimum Position - 2nd Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, grid start Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 30 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** 4x4 Off-Road Tour ** Vehicle used - Tracks - Minimum Position - Qualifying & race start - Tips - ** GT Tuning Cup ** Vehicle used - Tracks - Minimum Position - Qualifying & race start - Tips - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 32 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More coming soon... /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Pro Career Mode*~* (tocpro) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Pro career mode is HUGE, no exaggeration. There are 8 disciplines to choose from, and the idea is to beat each championship in turn, in order to unlock the next championship in the discipline. But that's only half of it. When you beat a championship, you win a cup, these cups in turn unlock bonus championships, which become available to play in free race, time trial and multiplayer modes. There are three cups to win in each championship, and in order to win them, you have to win each championship on normal and hard difficulties, AND set the fastest lap on each course in the championship. Fortunately, you can fully customise the championships, and can choose whether to have proper race rules and set the number of laps, and with there being a lot of races in the championships, you'll probably want to set the laps no more than 3, unless you have a LOT of time on your hands. Below I'll list the disciplines, and the championships in them, along with the tracks raced on, and other requirements. I'll also give a few brief tips on winning each championship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Renault A110 International Rally ** Vehicle/s used - Alpine A110 1600 S Group 4 Tracks - UK Rally Stage 1 UK Rally Stage 2 UK Rally Stage 3 Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - N/A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Global GT Lights ** Vehicle/s used - GT Light Tracks - Donnington National Circuit Motopark Oschersleben 'B' Oran Park North Circuit Eastern Creek Short Circuit Brands Hatch Short Circuit Castle Combe Gateway International Road Sandown International Motor Raceway Oulton Park Fosters Circuit Silverstone National Circuit Barbagallo Short Circuit Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, rolling ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oval ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** World Sprintcar Series ** Vehicle/s used - WSC Sprintcar Tracks - National Dirt Raceway 1 National Dirt Raceway 2 Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - practice then timed session, rolling Tips - Well well well, a championship you didn't race in world tour, who'd have thought it? Fortunately, there's no real challenge here. The Sprintcar has a natural tendency to veer to the left, thanks to it's huge spoiler on the back. Seeing as how the only bends are left turns, it's kinda convenient huh? The main tip is hold left......and that's about it to win this championship. If you have trouble here, then give up now (j/k) ** US Speedtruck Challenge** Vehicle/s used - Chevrolet Silverado Truck Tracks - Nashville Super Speedway Dover International Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval Gateway International Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - Again, another easy championship to win, much like the other oval championships. Just steer clear of other competitors and you shouldn't get any lower than 3rd in any of the races. ** US Dirt Series ** Vehicle/s used - Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Buck Gran Sport 455 Tracks - National Dirt Raceway Stage 1 National Dirt Raceway Stage 2 Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - practice then timed session, rolling Tips - Another lenient minimum position for this championship. I personally choose the Firebird over the Gran, simply because it seems to go round the turns easier. Sure it loses speed round them, but it has a better straight-line speed and should be able to catch up if you fall behind. ** Indycar Series ** Vehicle/s used - Dallara Automobilli Panoz Gforce Tracks - Gateway International Dover International Raceway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval Nashville Super Speedway Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - 2 laps, rolling Tips - This time, you have to come at least 3rd to win. The indycar seems impervious to losing wheels, so don't worry about that. There is absolutely no difference between the two vehicles, so just choose which one you like best. So long as you keep a good racing line, this championship shouldn't be too bad. Remember to ease off the gas round the tighter turns. ** Dodge Super Speedway Tour ** Vehicle/s used - Dodge Charger Tracks - Gateway International Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval Dover International Raceway Nashville Super Speedway Minimum Position - 1st Qualifying & race start - 3 laps, rolling Tips - As with every final championship in pro career mode, you HAVE to come 1st. Unlike other oval vehicles, the Dodge needs some TLC to get it round some corners. Learn to slow down round the tighter turns, especially at Gateway. Try and get a good qualifying position as well, as there's no 2nd place finish here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Touring Cars ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Autosport Clio Cup ** Vehicle/s used - Racing Renault Clio Tracks - Hockenheim Short Circuit Brands Hatch Short Circuit Silverstone National Circuit Eastern Creek Short Circuit Sandown International Motor Raceway Barbagallo Raceway Oulton Park Fosters Circuit Castle Combe Donnington National Circuit Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - timed session, grid start ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Off-road ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Off-road Buggy Nationals ** Vehicle/s used - Turnham Sandframe M4 Tracks - Brands Hatch Rallycross National Dirt Raceway Stage 3 International Rallycross Long International Rallycross Medium National Dirt Raceway Stage 4 International Rallycross Short Minimum Position - 3rd Qualifying & race start - practice then timed session, grid start ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Wheel ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Euro Karting Chmpionship ** Vehicle/s used - Mari MK9 Rotax Max Tracks - Go Kart Route 1 Barbagallo Short Circuit Eastern Creek Southern Loop Motopark Oschersleben 'C' Oran Park North Circuit Zandvoort Oostelijk Circuit Go Kart Route 2 Minimum Position - 6th Qualifying & race start - 1 lap, grid start ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a special championship, which comprises solely of time trial events using different vehicles. In order to win this championship, you have to set the fastest lap on all track, oh, and you can't go off the track at any point, otherwise you'll get a penalty, and the lap you were on will not count, so be prepared for a long championship. Vehucle/s used - Racing Renault Clio Caterham 7 Palmer Jaguar JP1 Nismo Fairlady Z S-Tune Formula Palmer Audi Tracks - Bedford Autodrome North Circuit Bedford Autodrome East Circuit Bedford Autodrome South Circuit Bedford Autodrome West Circuit Bedford Autodrome GT Circuit Minimum Position - 1st Qualifying & race start - Practice, rolling ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Honda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This discipline is locked to begin with. The only way to unlock it is by visiting the Honda website and registering, or by completing world tour mode. I have yet to unlock this discipline, and so I can't give any info on it. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Bonus Championships*~* (tocbon) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Bonus championships are unlocked by earning cups in Pro Career mode. These cups are won by winning each championship on normal and hard difficulty and by setting the fastest lap time on each track in each championship on time trial. There are 177 cups to earn in total, so you've got a lot of work to do to get the bonus championships. Mostly, the bonus championships offer different tracks to race the vehicles on, some offer different weather conditions and some are new. Below I'll list the disciplines and bonus championships within each one, along with the number of cups you have to earn to unlock it and other information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus 1960's Grand Prix ** Cups needed - 1 Vehicle/s used - Team Lotus Type 49 Tracks - Donnington Grand Prix Circuit Mondello International Circuit Snetterton Castle Combe Oulton Park International Circuit Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit Norisring City Race ** Bonus 1960's GT Cup ** Cups needed - 4 Vehicle/s used - Chevrolet Corvette L88 Sunray DX Tracks - Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Surfers Paradise Circuit Sandown International Motor Raceway Eastern Creek International Raceway Adelaide Street Circuit Zandvoort National Circuit Norisring City Race ** Bonus 1960's GT Shield ** Cups needed - 5 Vehicle/s used - Chevrolet Corvette L88 Sunray DX Tracks - Snetterton Mondello International Circuit Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit Castle Combe Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit Donnington Grand Prix Circuit Hockenheim National Circuit ** Bonus 1970's GT Cup ** Cups needed - 6 Vehicle/s used - Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo BMW E6 M1 Group 4 Tracks - Oulton Park International Circuit Motopark Oschersleben Snetterton Sandown International Motor Raceway Circuit Park Zandvoort Barbagallo Raceway Laguna Seca Grand Prix Circuit Donnington Grand Prix Circuit (Storm) Silverstone International Circuit ** Bonus Muscle Car Tour - Street Race ** Cups needed - 7 Vehicle/s used - Buick Gran Sport 455 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Tracks - Surfers Paradise Circuit Adelaide Street Circuit ** Bonus RWD Anniversary Rally ** Cups needed - 75 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Silver Arrows Grand Prix Series ** Cups needed - 130 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Muscle Car Tour ** Cups needed - 149 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus 1930's Vintage Grand Prix Cup ** Cups needed - 163 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus 1930's Vintage Grand Prix Shield ** Cups needed - 170 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus Class B 4WD Track Challenge ** Cups needed - 2 Vehicle/s used - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV Subaru Impreza N10 Tracks - Bathurst Oran Park Raceway Castle Combe Oulton Park Island Circuit Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit Silverstone International Circuit Sandown International Motor Raceway Nurburgring Short ** Bonus Class A 4WD Track Challenge ** Cups needed - 3 Vehicle/s used - Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Version Lancer Evolution VIII Tracks - Motopark Oschersleben Eastern Creek International Raceway Hockenhaim National Circuit Norisring City Race Zandvoort National Circuit Barbagallo Raceway Donnington National Circuit Mondello International Circuit Silverstone International Circuit ** Bonus Gemballa Challenge ** Cups needed - 61 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Global GT Lights ** Cups needed - 70 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Japanese Works Cup ** Cups needed - 80 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Japanese Works Shield ** Cups needed - 85 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Koenig Cup ** Cups needed - 90 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Palmer Jaguar JP1 ** Cups needed - 118 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Ultima Can-Am Tour ** Cups needed - 142 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus World GT - NGT ** Cups needed - 177 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oval ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus 1960's GT Oval ** Cups needed - 9 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Touring Car ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus European V6 Cup ** Cups needed - 15 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus European V6 Shield ** Cups needed - 17 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus MG Racing Cup ** Cups needed - 95 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus MG Racing Shield ** Cups needed - 100 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Autosport Clio Cup ** Cups needed - 124 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Supertruck International Series ** Cups needed - 136 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus V8 Supercars International Tour ** Cups needed - 156 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Off Road ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus Baja Buggy Kitcar Cup ** Cups needed - 8 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus 4x4 Off-Road Rally ** Cups needed - 11 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus US Dirt Series ** Cups needed - 13 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus MG Team Rally Shield ** Cups needed - 106 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Nissan Off-Road Challenge ** Cups needed - 112 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Wheel ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Bonus BMW WilliamsF1 Team Challenge ** Cups needed - 19 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus BMW WilliamsF1 Team Shield ** Cups needed - 22 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula 3 Cup ** Cups needed - 25 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula 3 Shield ** Cups needed - 28 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula BMW ADAC Cup ** Cups needed - 31 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula BMW ADAC Shield ** Cups needed - 34 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula Ford ** Cups needed - 37 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula 1000 ** Cups needed - 41 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula Palmer Audi Cup ** Cups needed - 45 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Formula Palmer Audi Shield ** Cups needed - 49 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus WilliamsF1 Team Challenge ** Cups needed - 53 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus WilliamsF1 Team Shield ** Cups needed - 57 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - ** Bonus Euro Karting Championship ** Cups needed - 65 Vehicle/s used - Tracks - /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Cheats/Unlockables*~* (tocheat) \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Enter these cheats into the bonus code screen under options to get the desired effect (all are case sensitive.) Before you can do this however, you have to visit codemasters.com/bonuscodes and enter your 4 digit unlocking code (found in the unlocking information section of the game,) then you have to PAY to get the codes, which are sent via e-mail. Personally, I'd just play through the game and unlock them that way, but if you're really desperate for them, that's the only other way to do it I'm afraid. Anyhoo, here are the codes: 5TP0CEX1RUFX3 - Invincible cars 5E3V106QGHCE8 - Slot car racer UX4Q0T9JX2JQ2 - Toy car mode GFHJFVDMV9Y76 - Turbo Boost 4YTND1RWFQ679 - Unlocks all bonus championships 1QYERGJN8BDR4 - Unlocks all championships L98W1PNNDFXFH - Unlocks all FMV sequences NBWQV0621K46A - Unlocks boosts Note: All these can be unlocked by playing the game normally ** Cut scenes ** As you progress in the game, you'll unlock various cutscenes. Here's how you unlock them: Meet Rick - beat the starting race Renault Clio Feedback - compete in the Renault Clio cup Global GT Light feedback - compete in the Global GT Light cup MG ZR - Compete in the MG ZR championship Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV - Compete in the Class B 4WD Track Challenge Baja Showcase - Compete in the Off Road Buggy Nationals Honda NSX Showcase - Compete in the Japanese Works championship Thunder Mountain Truck - Compete in the monster truck championship Chevy Silverado Showcase - Compete in the supertrucks championship Palmer Audi Showcase - Compete in the Formula Palmer Audi championship Renault Alpine A110 - Compete in the Renault A110 International rally Morgan Aero 8 - Compete in the British GT championship Renault Clio V6 - Compete in the European V6 championship Mercedes-Benz W196 - Compete in the 1930's vintage grand prix Formula BMW Showcase - Compete in the Formula BMW ADAC Championship Lotus 49 Showcase - Compete in the 1960's Grand Prix Mosler MT900R - Compete in the world GT cup with the Mosler as the car Corvette C5R Showcase - Race using the Corvette in the NGT cup Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V1 - Compete in the Mitsubishi rally trophy Koenig GT-D Showcase - Compete in the first GT Tuning Cup Gemballa Showcase - Compete in the GT Tuning cup in tier 29 First podium finish - Get on the podium for the first time Finish in lower half of field 1 - Finish below middle place Finish in lower half of field 2 - Finish below middle place Angry Driver 1 - Have a heavy impact with another driver (this seems to be random) No Damage - Finish an entire race without taking a single hit or going off course once. Angry Driver 2 - Collide with someone during the GT Cup (may be random) Player beats streatham - Come ahead of a player called Streatham Set New lap record - Set a new lap record on any track Qualify in pole position - self explanatory Finish in first place - self explanatory Finish in second place - self explanatory Finish in third place - self explanatory Finish in top half of field 1 - Finish above middle place Finish in top half of field 2 - Finish above middle place /\/\/\/\/\/\ *~*Outro*~* \/\/\/\/\/\/ Well, that was my first ever FAQ, I hope this has helped you through some of the tricker sections of the game. It certainly is a big game to get through, but the rewards are satisfying. Until next time. Copyright 2007 Rikki H.