Real-world Supercross tracks influenced by the sport’s video game

When it comes to racing games, do you prefer digital versions of racetracks in the real world? It obviously depends on the game. Few people will complain Mario KartRainbow Road is unrealistic because they shoot red shells on a gorilla on wheels, but a boring street lane with too many 90-degree turns that only exist to show a NYC skyline is another matter.

Well done, a made up series of twists and turns can make a game; there’s a reason we cheered so much when we found out that Trial Mountain will be back again Gran Turismo 7. On the other hand, developers are constantly being asked about adding real racetracks to their games. And the presence of a decently digitized Spa or Nürburgring Nordschleife could tempt a faltering player.

This is the kind of thing I think about, which might just mean I’m a little weird. But it also explains why I said ‘yes’ when someone asked if I wanted to talk to Mike Muye, senior director of Monster Energy Supercross, about this topic. I agreed, though I do not really know much about Supercross, an evolution of motocross in which off-road motorcycles race each other on dirt roads built specifically for the occasion. (Monster Energy Supercross 4 offered for sale earlier this month for both Playstation and Xbox platforms, hence the offer of a chat.)

Muye’s work means that he is intensely involved in the design and construction of the right tracks for real Supercross racing, and he works with the various sanctioning agencies to make sure everything is safe and to the specifications. And as someone who plays in his spare time, he is well equipped to talk about the similarities or differences.

It’s very dirty

Again, I know very little about Supercross, which is why I asked Muye to tell me more about how the sport builds the tracks for each event. It must, however, be careful to ensure that the earthworks can withstand a day’s racing.

‘A neat thing about Monster Energy Supercross and Feld Entertainment is that we own all the garbage used during our Supercross events,’ he told me. “The dirt is both sourced and stored locally so we can reuse it for both Supercross and Monster Jam.” To begin with, the cost of transporting tons and tons of dirt from city to city would be unaffordable. “Another reason is that the dirt presents a unique obstacle, as the drivers have to adapt their riding style and bike set-ups to the different types of soil used in each city,” he said.

The details of each stadium on the calendar also influence the track design. “Some stadiums have natural grass pitches, and it’s easy to build the pitch right on, while others have artificial turf and / or the technology to completely remove the pitch, which allows us to build the pitch on the fundamental layer of concrete. ., “Muye told me.

“Everyone needs a slightly different technique to build, but the overarching process is to place a layer of sheet plastic over the entire field and then place one to two layers of heavy plywood over the entire floor to protect the surface beneath it, he said. said. “After the plywood has been laid, we place a layer of soil dirty over the field and pack it as tightly as possible. This tightly packed base layer becomes the foundation on which the track is built. The base layer is often made of crushed asphalt grinds, which “We provide a solid base to work from, which is especially important if we are experiencing weather problems. On top of that, we build the actual track surface and jump with the outside tracks first and work first to the middle of the stadium floor.”

The harvest is important

But according to Muye, there are general elements of a good job. These include the start, turns in the bowl, long lanes and something called the ‘whoops’.

Given the short nature of a Supercross race – 20 minutes plus a lap for the more powerful 450cc bikes – it is essential to make the most of the race. A starting gate of 90 feet for 22 racers, which is up to 20 feet wide. “That’s why the first turn is so chaotic and it should always be a whip turn, so that the athletes do not bump into each other, but rather get the chance to walk through the first turn and start chasing each other. turn 180 degrees to the start, as this will slow down the racers and create unnecessary devastation, ‘Muye explained.

Combo turns are also 180 degree turns, but unlike a hairpin, they have a large embankment that often means more than one race line will work. And where there is more than one line, there is overtaking. “Multiple pickups in a track layout have previously created big races, as it gives the athletes the opportunity to make their participants pass. Block pass is a maneuver where a rider comes to another racer and a sharper angle in the turn ‘, which allows him / her to block the other rider by taking away their line and momentum,’ he told Ars.

“Whoops are often a divider between riders,” Muye said, referring to the series of forces or small hills also known as whoop-de-dos and often found immediately after a turn. “When done this way, it gives the rider the ability to utilize the pickup by knocking it down, which creates propulsion (speed) and allows the racer to climb on top of the buttons and ideally over the top of them. “If a block pass is run by another racer before this time, it could be detrimental to the rider, as they may not have the drive to get through the whoops section,” he said.

Lastly, there are the long tracks that have the potential to ruin good races if not laid out properly. “Lanes with only two to three obstacles do not work well in Supercross because they tend to become one – line. One – line lanes eventually create a very boring race, as the riders can not pass each other. Our team always strives for a minimum of five obstacles in a lane, as it has been the right formula over the years, ‘Muye told me.

Nobody gets hurt in a match

Perhaps the biggest difference between designing a real Supercross track and one for a video game is that real people really get hurt.

“In the game you can try anything, but in real life you always have to consider safety for the athletes,” Muye said. But the track editor in the Monster Energy Supercross games can give Muye and his colleagues some ideas. “Users can create their own tracks, and it’s fun to race with them and imagine what it would look like in real life. These ‘game tracks’ can often be very inspiring for the real obstacles we have on our creative toes. like to try and integrate into real Supercross track design, ‘he explained.

As for our opening debate, Muye favors games that use real layouts. “I prefer a replica cut as I like to be authentic to the actual experience,” he said. “It’s nice for me to see how the professional riders raced the track and then try to duplicate it and try to get speed in certain areas. I also prefer the game control to be as realistic as possible. In Supercross racing, use the clutch is a very important component to chase.A rider will blow the clutch on the motorcycle to keep the engines of the engine high when he is in a turn, and then release the clutch to eject the rear wheels give to remove great obstacles. Monster Energy Supercross 4 did an excellent job of repeating it. ‘

List by Monster Energy Supercross