New Form of Car Racing Comes to the PC

26 September 1999

First-Ever Dirt Track Car Racing Game Comes to the PC with GT Interactive's `Dirt Track Racing' From WizardWorks and Ratbag

Extremely Realistic Dirt Track Physics Add to Complexity of the Race
Keep a Hold of the Wheel or You'll Be Left In The Dirt

    GT Interactive Software's Leisure Publishing Division is bringing a new form of car racing to the PC with the upcoming release of Dirt Track Racing from WizardWorks. Designed by Australia-based developer Ratbag, designers of the action-packed off-road racing game Powerslide, Dirt Track Racing captures the driving experience with incredibly realistic car and track physics, tuning and upgrading of vehicles and the progression through various series from hobby stock to late model class.

    "With more than 700 dirt tracks in the United States, this form of racing is the most popular amongst its competitors and the most visible form of car racing throughout the country," said Paul Rinde, senior vice president of GT Interactive's Leisure Publishing Division. "Dirt Track Racing is a very unique car racing game because it incorporates extremely sophisticated gameplay physics. All cars in a single race use the same physics engine, making it a very tight and difficult race because the other vehicles are racing right along side the player, all vying for a lead position."

    "Adding to the complexity of the race are the ever-changing conditions of the track," Rinde said. "Over the course of a race the dirt track will pack down, becoming hard and slippery, making driving that much more difficult."

    In Dirt Track Racing, players start with $1,000 in their pocket. With the money, players need to purchase their vehicle. They start in the lowest class of competition and will need to buy a hobby stock car for $500. Then by winning prize money and attracting sponsorships the player can purchase faster vehicles, racing parts to upgrade their vehicles and enter new classes of competition. Resource management and decision making are just as critical as driving skills if players want to escalate their careers, from amateur to professional.

    Dirt Track Racing also features 8 separate series of competitions (local, regional and national) of varying difficulty. Each competition has a full simulation of practice, qualifying, heats and main.

    Dirt Track Racing features 3 different play modes (in arcade or full simulation), including single-player racing only, career-mode and multiplayer (up to 10 players) over LAN and Internet. Other game features include:


30 Tracks in 12 different race series:
--   Length (1/8th to full mile)
--   Banking (flat to 33 degrees)
--   Clay or dirt
--   Oval, D-oval, tri-oval, egg-shaped, figure 8 (with collisions)

Three Classes:
--   Hobby or Pure Stock (cheap, no modifications)
--   Production Stock (more advanced, stock body, some modifications
     to mechanics allowed)
--   Late Model Class (professional, highly modified, fiberglass
     bodies)

18 Vehicles across 3 classes:
--   Each vehicle has 5 paint schemes (a total of 90 paint schemes)
--   Players can choose the number they want on the car
--   When player's attract sponsorships the sponsor's logo will appear
     on the vehicle

Resource Management (player's can spend their money for):
--   Purchasing new vehicles
--   Upgrades
--   Repairs
--   Entry fees
--   Tires and practice time on the track

    Endorsed by the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA), Dirt Track Racing will be available at retail outlets nationwide in November for a suggested retail price of $19.99 or through secure online transactions.

    Headquartered in New York, GT Interactive Software Corp. is a leading global developer, publisher and distributor of interactive consumer software. The company maintains four divisions: Children's Publishing, Leisure Publishing, Frontline Publishing and Distribution. The company has publishing operations throughout the world with offices in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Holland and Australia. GT Interactive also has seven internal development studios: Humongous Entertainment, Cavedog Entertainment, SingleTrac, WizardWorks, Oddworld, Legend Entertainment and Reflections. GT Interactive's ecommerce system provides secure online transactions through each of the studios' Web sites.

    Ratbag is a PC and console game developer based in Australia. Ratbag's last racing title, Powerslide, received many editor's choice awards and Racing Game of 1998 by IGN-PC and Sports Gaming Network. IGN-PC also voted Powerslide Runner-Up for Best Graphics (1998), second only to Unreal.