Volume 87 -- Apr. 11, 2008

A Turn 10 Introduction...

By: Che Chou, Community Manager

Hello Forzamotorsport.net readers and welcome back to another edition of the Turn 10 Weekly Pitpass Report. If you're just joining us from elsewhere on the great wide internets, we here at Turn 10 develop racing games on the Xbox 360 under the Forza Motorsport franchise. Forzamotorsport.net is our home away from home, our blog, our community, our pulpit, our conduit -- it's our face to your world and your window into our world. We use this space each Friday to talk about the state of the Forza community (what's hot, but rarely what's not) as well as  some of the real-life car hoonage we get into, or cool stories from other folks within our social network. So while the expectation here is that FM.net and the Weekly Pitpass Reports are Forza-centric, expect that to change in the coming weeks and months.

2003 Toyota Celica SS-I by: Kami Iki - Realistic Photomode

Don't worry, it doesn't mean we're going to try and emulate Autoblog or Jalopnik.com -- those guys are great at what they do and we're big fans of their stuff. What I actually mean is that besides racing games and the art of making them over here at Turn 10, the crew is really comprised of some of the most hardcore car otakus and gearheads I've ever met. Car geekery is heard around every corner you take here at the labyrinthine Turn 10 offices. There have actually been times where, on the way to the kitchen to stockpile my daily supply of mineral-free sparkling water, I actually catch tidbits where Turn 10 folks are actually trying to out car-knowledge each other by dropping the more obscure trivia-related megaton bomb. It's at once entertaining and intimidating to know that we have walking automotive encyclopedias here.

My point? Well, if FM.net is an extension of Turn 10 -- its products, its personalities, and its zeitgeist -- then it's natural that we should lend plenty of coverage to what we're really passionate about here, which is real-life motorsports. So in the coming weeks, months, whatever, we'll be sharing the spotlight on Forza Motorsport 2 and its awesome community with stories about life. Namely, car life. Again, if you have a cool story to share with us, let us know. This renewed effort will be subtle (sure doesn't seem like it here and now in this WPR does it?) but I think in the long haul, most of you will start to pick up on the cadence and get a pretty good feel for what we're trying to achieve.

A group of Itialian Stallions by: SPhilli911 - FC Photo Comp.

So to that end, let me point out in some not-so-subtle ways some of the content you may already be getting accustomed to. First of all, as ever, we've got the Turn 10 Car of the Week blog entries from opinionated Turn 10 designers J. Mason and P. Rodriguez. These guys know their likes and dislikes and they're not afraid to get loud and proud about it. Last week, J. Mason hit a few nerves with his rant on Lotus and their practice of incremental power/performance increases to justify a new model line. This week, he's back with some thoughts on the Mazda Furai Concept, a car that looks like it literally sprang from the pages of a (dark and evil) comic book. But yeah, the car is sick, so be sure to find out why.

Go Go Gadget Furai!  Check out this futuristic ride in J. Mason's latest blog entry.

Then there's my boy Landin, who recently purchased his first car in America (yes, he's Canadian), a rare mint-conditioned Hachi-Roku AE86, Trueno blah blah blah. Truth be told, I'm a little jealous. I've always wanted a 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S and, while you're always happy for the next guy who lands that incredible Craigslist snag, I can't help but feel a little envious for all the adventures 'lil Landin's going to have with his RWD faithful. This car has really gotten him going in real-life. I can already see him losing interesting in cappin' fools in COD4 and obsessing over not just his car, but real-world cars in general. I think his story below really exemplifies how a game like Forza can flip a switch and turn you on to real-world motorsports fan. Landin wants to drift in real-life. I want him to drift in real-life. What do you think -- he doesn't even have his American driver's license yet -- can he do it? I have my doubts but hey, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Ah, and then there's this new game we're working on here... yes. It's going very well... very well indeed.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the rays of spring and see you next week!

Check out this High Contrast Shot by: RoxxApexx - High Contrast Comp.

"The Drift Inn" - Where the SCCA Goes to Drift

By: Landin Williams, Community Moderator

If I had to sum up this past week in one sentence, it would probably include words like: majestic, stupefying, and maybe even indomitable. Regardless of the silly jargon used to express human emotions, I am confident that my experiences during the past week cannot be summed up with words. Only a scrunched up facial expression accompanied by eyes popping out of their sockets would suffice as an expression of the excitement I felt over the past week. Why you ask? Well among other things I got to ride on a ferry for the very first time (see below) and got a firsthand experience with drifting at the SCCA Drift School event, something that really opened my eyes to the world of drifting.

My eyes were opened so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets (see above), as I fell deeper in love with the sport of drifting. In fact I was so determined to get involved that I loaded up Craigslist later that night, and stumbled across the car of my dreams; a clean 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S Hatch. Needless to say I ended up purchasing it the very next day, ironically, from someone who has been really involved with the drifting community in both Forza 1 and 2! The full story has been posted to the blogs, so check out my Darlin’ GT-S here. I will be updating everyone with my progress as I embark on a journey into the crazy world of drifting; a quest that began on a murky Saturday morning in Seattle.

The coast was definitely clear thanks to the big gun on the front of our armed escort.

Only a 2 hour ferry ride on the “Kaleetan “ separated Adam and I from the small town of Bremerton, the home of the first ever SCCA sanctioned Drift School event in Washington. I have to be honest here; at first I was a little bit skeptical. I mean honestly, what’s a ferry? Let’s take a moment here to really think about this. First, you and 100 other people drive onto a huge boat and park in a designated space. You then mosey on over to the cafeteria and order yourself a bacon and egg muffin, which you enjoy while the 8,000 horsepower ferry gracefully slithers through the water at its top speed of 17 knots. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget about the coast guard escort that was feverishly doing laps around our ferry to ensure the coast was clear. In all seriousness it was a pretty unique experience to say the least. Of course a ferry can only provide so much excitement once the novelty wears off and words like majestic and indomitable are probably not the best words to describe it. Luckily drifting doesn’t suffer the same fate.

This beautiful S14 did not fail...neither did the S13 that's lurking in the background.

As we disembarked from the Kalettan and passed “The Drift Inn” bar, I started to get excited for the event. Not only was I going to get a chance to meet Tony “Tatakai” Carreon, the Forza 2 drifter turned amateur drifter, but I was also going to have the opportunity to take a few laps with some of the drifting instructors from the SCCA. All of this was really exciting for both of us, especially when we approached the gates at the Bremerton Motorsports Park, and heard the faint sounds of drifting in the distance.

After signing the necessary waivers we got a glimpse of the cars, and believe me there was enough eye candy scattered around to please anyone who is remotely interested in drifting. Everything from S13’s with SR20 swaps to brand new BMW Z4’s could be found at the event, sliding happily (and occasionally spinning out) along the narrow track surface. After regaining composure, we met up with Russell O’Connell, the event coordinator from the SCCA to get the low down on the event. Being a drifter himself it was evident that everyone involved was volunteering their time for the love of drifting. The students were driving their own cars, as instructors gave them feedback based on how they were adapting to oversteer. All in all it was great to see a grassroots effort targeted at newcomers who are looking to get involved with the sport of drifting.

This must be the coolest bar in the whole world.  Unfortunately we had a ferry to catch that left us with zero time to "drift on in".

As we approached the skid pad we saw a clean white RX-7 with a carbon fiber hood doing figure 8’s around a set of pylons, and realized that it was none other than Tatakai! Adam and I were both really impressed with how Tony was already getting the hang of these basic techniques, especially considering his beloved RX-7 had just overheated due to a blown coolant line a few hours earlier. With the help of a few zip ties he was back on the track, tearing through his brand new tires. Watching Tony learn the basics was really cool, and after his final run on the figure 8’s we met up to talk about his car, and his passion for drifting both in real life and in Forza 2. 

“I bought my RX-7 at the end of November last year”, he says after I ask him about his ride. “I got it from a kid and his mom who basically only drove it during the summer. He had another FD he was working on, so he really didn't need the FC” he explains. We continued to discuss his ride, and he explained how the car was bone stock when he picked it up. Since then he has added a set of Stance coilovers, a Kaaz LSD and a carbon fiber hood to match his black wheels. Obviously just like any tuner he has a shopping list of other modifications, but for now he has the basic upgrades needed to get his car sideways…and hold it there.

Check out the man himself, Tatakai, practicing throttle control while his instructor gives him valuable feedback.  Picture by: Danny Sullivan

We chatted a bit more about his car and some of his future plans before I started asking him about the influence Forza has had on his interest in drifting. I know on a personal level I would not be as interested in drifting if it wasn’t for Forza, and evidently Tony feels the same way. “I don’t think I would have EVER gotten into drifting as much as I am now if it weren't for Forza and the community” says Carreon. “Drifting in Forza is definitely what turned me towards drifting, and it’s what sparked my interest in getting involved with my own car in real life” he says.

Now from a learning standpoint his story is really interesting, particularly because Tony has applied all the concepts and techniques required to drift in Forza 2 and is now using that knowledge to drift in real life. Things like steering with the throttle and figuring out the correct lines on the track are things that Tony picked up while drifting in Forza. “A lot of people were having problems switching back on the figure 8 track, initiating way too early or too late” he explains. “It only took me 2 tries to get it right. It wasn't perfect, but I had the line down”.

Check out Tony and his FC doing figure 8's around a set of terrified pylons.  Picture by: Danny Sullivan

Knowing some of the basics from Forza drifting really helped Tony in certain aspects; however the school helped him apply these techniques in real life. For example his instructor noticed that he was holding himself to the steering wheel, something that makes countersteering even more difficult than it already is. One technique he learned to avoid this problem is to use the dead pedal to hold yourself to your seat, allowing the wheel free motion during countersteering. When you think about how fast the steering wheel will be rotating during a drift or weight transition, it becomes apparent that you will need another way to keep yourself planted. When asked about his instructor, Tony mentioned just how much it has helped him during the learning process. “The school is VERY helpful. I can’t imagine how long it would’ve taken me to get to the level I’m at now without this school. I could see it taking me nearly all year to learn what I have learned in just a matter of hours” he explains. Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sounds of cars revving up in the distance. Apparently lunch break was over, and it was time for the instructors to take some runs on the course.

All of the instructors had brought their own cars to the event to give in-car demonstrations to students and spectators alike, so I decided it was time to finally feel what it’s like to drift in real life. Our good buddy Russell introduced me to one of the instructors who was driving a 240SX with an SR20 swap and a fully gutted interior. The driver, Mateya, is one of the founding members of the Evergreen Drift event here in Washington, and has been involved in the scene for almost 5 years now. Luckily, he was nice enough to let me ride shotgun during a few of his runs, so I grabbed myself a helmet and jumped into the passenger seat. 

Now in all honesty I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, but it didn’t really sink in at first. We started chatting about drifting while we waited for the signal to move towards the staging area. We were having such a great conversation that I almost forgot what was about to happen. The track Marshall dropped the flag as Mateya dropped the clutch, and within seconds he flung his car into the first left hander as I looked out the passenger window in astonishment…we were sideways!

Drifting veteran Mateya and his SR20 powered 240SX clue me into the incredible sensation known as drifting.  Picture by: Chris Novak

Unlike the ferry this experience can easily be described as indomitable, and as we passed through the multiple chicanes towards the end of the course I was completely speechless. In all my experiences with cars, drifting is easily the most exciting activity that could possibly be accomplished in a car. With smoke billowing out behind you, and chunks of tires hitting you in the face, it is hard to think of anything that could possibly top this experience. The feeling of sliding sideways in a controlled fashion is just so exhilarating, mainly because is not something I can relate to everyday driving. Usually you sit calmly in the passenger seat of your buddies ride and cruise down the strip trying to look as cool as possible, but this was different….WAY different.

After three runs through the course I jumped out of Mateya’s 240SX and walked towards Adam who was watching anxiously from the grandstands. The only thing that came out of my mouth when I was within range was: “I need this. I need this in my life.”  That was all I could say, and really that’s all the needed to be said. The whole experience from watching Tony learn the basics, to actually feeling what it’s like to slide around at breakneck speeds was more than enough proof for me, and as you already know the very next day the keys to a clean Corolla GT-S were in my hands as I set out to experience real world drifting to the fullest!

Special thanks going out to Tony for letting me know about this event, and for taking the time to sit down and talk about his experiences with drifting. Also thanks to Russell from the SCCA for his dedication and commitment to bringing more sanctioned drifting events to the area. The SCCA has just recently started to establish drifting programs like this, and Russell has been the driving force for these events in the Northwest. If you are looking to get more information about drifting in the Washington area, then make sure to check out the Evergreen Speedway Drift event here. Also for more information about the SCCA then check out their site here. Another great resource for drifting is the Northwest Nissan Forums, where you can easily get in touch with Russell along with the entire crew of drift enthusiasts. On a personal level I will definitely be attending, participating and blogging about all future drifting events in the area, so stay tuned for more!

Check out Adam chillin' in the passenger seat of this tidy E30...holding on for dear life. Driver: Chris Mason

Hotlap Series Season 3 Begins!

As announced last week we have officially launched Season 3 of the Turn 10 Weekly Hotlap Series! This 5 week season will consist of a team individual championship, where your finishing position on the weekly leaderboards will determine your overall point totals for the series. Anyone can participate in the challenge, and there is no need to sign up unless you want to establish a team for the event. 

One change for this season is that we will be announcing all of the settings for the entire season at the beginning, meaning you can now plan your car strategies and tuning well in advance. For a full breakdown of the rules, as well as to register your team, visit the official Rules and Registration thread here. Everything will be explained in greater detail there, so make sure to check it out if you are looking to get involved! For now here is a list of all the settings for Season 3:

Week 1 - TVR Speed 12 on Sunset Infield Reverse
Week 2 - R4 (RWD) cars on Silverstone International.
Week 3 - FWD American Cars (PI 450) on Maple Valley Reverse
Week 4 - R2 cars on the Mugello
Week 5 – Stock Challenge: Lamborghini Murcialago on Diamondback

2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R by: Hoccy - Realistic Photomode Thread

And what do you get for winning you ask? As with Season 1 and 2, we will be awarding the winning players and teams with the following:

Individual Standings
First Place: 10,000,000 CR and 3 Gift Cars of Choice
Second Place: 8,000,000 CR and 2 Gift Cars of Choice
Third Place: 6,000,000 CR and 1 Gift Car of Choice
Fourth Place: 5,000,000 CR
Fifth Place: 4,500,000 CR
Sixth Place: 4,000,000 CR
Seventh Place: 3,000,000 CR
Eighth Place: 3,500,000 CR
Ninth Place: 2,000,000 CR
Tenth Place: 1,000,000 CR

Team Standings (Credits will be given to the Team Leader)
First Place: 50,000,000 CR
Second Place: 25,000,000 CR
Third Place: 10,000,000 CR

As you can see there is a lot on the line so check out the thread above and get involved. Week 1 has already started with the TVR Speed 12 challenge on Sunset Infield Reverse, so get in some laps and win some prizes!

An hommage to Tatakai and Side-FX?  by: aLeS RS - Drifting Gallery 

Turn 10 Sunday Challenge – Now with European Counterpart!

Last week we officially launched the Turn 10 Sunday Challenge, a tournament that starts and finishes all in the course of one day. As some of you already know the challenge actually ended up running on Saturday, however it has since been fixed and will appear for the second time this Sunday! In order to cater to our fans in Europe, I have created a second tournament that runs during prime time GMT. We have not restricted these tournaments to a specific region, mainly because we encourage everyone to have fun and play together; however we do hope to cater to both audiences equally. 

Also it is important that you only qualify for a tournament that you are planning to attend. Additionally if you run in one tournament, try to leave the spaces open for others in the second tournament. This should increase participation, and will allow different players to experience our challenge. Also as I mentioned last week the settings for these tournaments will go through a 5 week cycle, so you won’t be running identical tournaments each weekend! If you have any questions or suggestions then head on over to the discussion thread here, and share your thoughts.

Hotlap Challenge Week 29 - Top 10
1 - V12 BackONE AbS
2 - V12 seba grisea
3 - rTR I Fullspe3D
4 - V12 Kronoturbo
5 - rTR I Nikrox
6 - xxD4RK SP33Dxx
7 - VanBasten99
8 - rTR I Trasgu
9 - IPR StevenX
10  - RNF Petitbob

Click here to see if you have been selected as one of the Random 30 from week 29!

Remember the top 10 along with the random 30 are all eligible for a free gift car of choice. Send us an e-mail (forzafb@microsoft.com) with your gamertag and car request and we will send it out on Monday! 

1994 Honda Civic 1.5 VTi by: mnkpro - Photoshop Competition

Alright that’s it for this week’s Community Update! Thanks again for checking in with everyone here at Turn 10, and I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace

Landin