He’s not just a Cup champion and a Hall of Famer – he’s also a sim racer from way back.
Before iRacing, there were the NASCAR Racing PC games produced by Papyrus. NASCAR Racing 2 was released in 1996, and was considered a cutting-edge simulator in its time by racing fans are real racers alike. One of those real racers was eventual 2000 Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, then driving the famous Interstate Batteries #18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Then, as now, car setup is everything. To the uninitiated, all of those settings – and what they will do for the car – can be downright confusing. Back in the mid 1990s, nobody had ever seen such a sophisticated tuning screen before. Thankfully, Labonte teamed up with Papyrus to create a 44 minute long video guide to car setup and tuning. Thanks to the fine folks at RaceSimCentral on YouTube, this sim racing artifact has been transferred from VHS and digitized for all to enjoy.
The beginning of the video covers the basics of driving, while the end discusses the early days of online multiplayer. The reason we’re here, though, is the middle of the video, which contains some surprisingly useful information for modern iRacers. Even though NASCAR Racing 2 looks primitive to modern eyes, it’s still worth watching for those new to car setup. In the video, Labonte explains each car setting in simple terms and offers suggestions. However, he takes things a step further. It’s one thing to understand how spring rate, damper, and tire pressure will affect your car’s handling. It’s another thing entirely to understand how all of these settings work together to create a car setup that will get you to victory lane.
The game might be old and outdated, but the information is still as relevant as ever. Of course, there is an entertainment aspect to the video as well. In this era of high-dollar sim rigs, it’s entertaining to see one of the all-time greats get it done with a CRT television, an office chair, and a basic wheel clamped to a wooden desk. Whether you’re rocking a full-motion, multi-monitor rig or you race in socks like me, this video will give you everything you need to log on, perfect your setup, and win. Good luck!
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