Hi everyone! A few of you may be familiar with the Pescara 1957 circuit that I released for rF2 a few months ago, as well as the Gran Premio Di Napoli circuit a few years ago which didn't make it beyond a primitive state for rF2. Today I'm very happy to announce, after quite a long time in development, that an updated version of Napoli is available for rF2 at my store for 3GBP, for which you also receive the AC and AMS1 versions. In case you already purchased the Napoli pack back then, please simply redownload it from your purchase email. https://italotracks.sellfy.store/p/gran-premio-di-napoli-1934-1957-ac-rf2-ams1-pack/ Since the previous version I have completely reworked the collision objects (no more CPU spikes or weird AI behaviour), redone the AIW file (boosting the grid size to 30), adjusted material properties, implemented wet weather and night lighting, as well as several other things. I'd like to thank Nico Hillebrand and Devin Braune for their testing and feedback. Without further ado here's a video of the track, as well as some screenshots. It's a fabulous 4.1km venue in the Posillipo neighbourhood of Naples, with wonderful views of the bay of Naples and Vesuvius, and hosted races featuring the likes of Fangio, Moss and Ascari in non championship F1 races, F2, as well as many other categories.
I might not be able to resist buying this. This looks like most picturesque and dynamic rollercoaster temporary racing circuit ever.
Loved the video Giuseppe and could almost feel the Med breezes as we braved our way around the circuit. Big cahones needed to go real fast here. Thank you for your efforts and talent for all you've produced.
I'm loving this track! I'm a big fan of old cars and historic tracks. Thank you for all your hard work!
great track great elevation changes good feel I tested a 50s Lancia F1 and a 60s GT Revival With the mods the track is like it was made for them thank you very much
Couldn't resist, bought it. Just had a run with Lancia. At first it felt horrible, the default setup was not good at all for this track, also it is necessary to learn this track very well, it is very difficult to achieve maximum there. As I was gettign faster and more consistent the track also was becoming more beautiful to me and vibe got stronger. I was expecting to get close to 2minutes10seconds laptime. But there was no chance. Best I did was 2'20, and I was already hitting trees at this point. Perhaps there could still be 2-4seconds to find if we would assume that there is still a lot left in setup and drivers ability. No more than that. Thus I am asking if it is possible that something is off about friction and roughness parameters ? Will have to test once again to see if I can get any faster with Lancia. I don't think Lancia D50 mod is too slow, because I shouldn't go any faster in Monaco with it, which is principally similar to Naples circuit. The track looks great, like Pescara and even better than it. Modeling is very good in my opinion. Like in Pescara, texturing and shading could get a lot better in my opinion. Thank you for this addition to rF2, I never knew about this track, the layout is very exciting. It is amazing as long as you don't go too fast I have no idea how they drove on the limit there IRL back then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Naples_Grand_Prix
Thanks for your feedback! Yes it was an amazing circuit indeed! I've looked at the .tdf and there's nothing amiss, the values are the same as Loch Drummond, a regular S397 track and available to look at in dev mode. I think it's possible in the F2 Eve to get a 1:58 if you're a quick driver. I'm not sure why there's a discrepancy in lap times as the track is based on LiDAR and photogrammetry and isn't exactly 500m too long or anything It is possible that the asphalt in period was very grippy, but at the same time it's a street track, so probably shouldn't be...very strange.
I will try to go faster, will try some other setup options, higher ambient temperature... However, modern racing circuits might have asphalt more biased towards adhesion, being smoother perhaps, best for modern high performance soft tires on cars with downforce. For example in Nordschleife tarmac on the GP circuit is different. The "green hell" has rougher tarmac, I think what it physically does is that it reduces peak static grip, due less adhesion, but it compensates that with better sliding friction, and such tarmac might be worse for modern racing tires, but better for older fashion tires and "civil" tires perhaps. That should also make it more grippy in wet, which definitely also would be important for civil roads. Maybe not too relevant, but it is interesting to see layers of Indianapolis tarmac through years: https://www.trackforum.org/forum/motorsports/rev-ed-s-ntt-indycar-series/6844662-ims-core-samples
Don't have too much of a knee-jerk reaction on this. Loch Drummond is a modern circuit so it may have a small % of better grip than 60 years ago but the car is a third-party one, not something validated by engineers/drivers. Please do not over correct.
Thats true don't rush to make conclusions. I have just posted my initial thoughts. It could be that my car physics aren't performing well enough in this track. Or it also could be bit of both. To me this just ignites further interest in my car as well as in the track. Today I have done 1'41'7 in Monaco, and then 2'16'7 in Posillipo with same setup. maybe will do second faster next time. I have set this laptime with very low fuel, rubbered track and ambient temp at around 34C. But it was incredibly difficult. I think I can still do faster, and also perhaps could use stronger damping to stabilize car better through bumps and sudden twitches that D50 does, D50 is super sensitive to setup changes. I have configured my tires in a way that they would have pretty good sliding friction at low speeds, this is how it can do such fast laptime in Monaco, compared to Ascari I probably shouldn't hope to go faster, even if I don't have any risks going so fast. Worth to mention that I have configured my tires to have minimal grip gain from groove, which perhaps isn't correct, but if I would improve it, it would make me too fast everywhere and still too slow in Naples. D50 is not too slow in Monaco, Monza, SPA, Pescara, Zandvoort, Nurburgring haven't tried Aintree. Speaking of groove, even with minimal effect on grip, it feels rather significant on this track when I fail to keep car on the groove, I loose plenty of time and confidence in car. I don't know any car in simracing that has been "validated". But it is exactly what is being done right now. Perhaps I have slight freedom to improve grip of tires befor it becomes way too fast elsewhere, but it won't be enough. As for the track. I believe it is really accurate on macro level. Can't judge many smaller details because I have no references, no photos and no videos of many places fro mraces back then, can only look at google street view now. Maybe on some spot it was possible to apex differently, maybe curbs could have been lowered at few locations allowing greater speeds. As I said before, perhaps tarmac had slight better roughness, and sliding produced less loss of grip. I would also question possibilities of road camber being little too small here and there, although with methods used it shouldn't be wrong as that is on macro level. I have looked at Monaco tarmac roughness params in TDF, they are standard, so no better or worse than Napoli. I think Nordschleife has some more roughness dialed in. @Italotracks What other laptimes we can use to validate your track providing correct pace ? I know you mentioned EVE F2, but I suppose there were no real life laptimes with similar car there, or was there ? Sad, that most pines are gone now
Thank you for this track. It’s lovely and a real challenge. Worth every penny. Too bad that might keep it from being used in league races, and the track looks like it might make for good racing.
Thank you for the update. Little bit of feedback: I think some of the objects on track could do with having some normal maps/specular maps adjusted as they seem a little flat. This is very apparent on the tree trunks of all the trees lining the track. The patches of dirt/chalk/concrete on the track can stick out a bit when the track is a little wet as they aren't included in the surface and appear bone dry?
