Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

No one auto maker exudes performance, charm, and character quite like Porsche; and "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed," is the ultimate gift for any Porsche-loving fan. I personally argue this is one of the last great classic Need for Speed titles. You only race Porsches. You only tune Porsches. You only collect Porsches. No expense was spared in providing the ultimate experience with Porsche in the realm of the Need for Speed realm. While you may think NFS is usually about Hollywood-style action, this is a more mature Need for Speed.

This blog post primarily concerns the PC version of "NFS: Porsche Unleashed," but it is also available for the PlayStation 1 and even the Game Boy Advance.

--- "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" at a Glance ---

^ from: amazon.com - "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" for the PC.

This Need for Speed is a huge diversion from the arcade-style thrills of past NFS games. This is a more mature (as in not being arcadish), quasi-simulation title featuring many Porsches.

The game does a great job of sorting out Porsches by having you race through three distinct eras of Porsche history- Classic Era, Golden Era, and Modern Era. Each era of Porsche will allow you to race the latest (in their day) Porsche models. The Classic Era features some of the very first Porsche models, starting out with the Porsche 356 models. The Golden Era showcases some of the finest road-going Porsches between 19 and 19. The Modern Era features some of the hottest of-the-moment Porsche models ranging from the 911 range up to the Boxster and the super-fast Porsche 911 GT1.

"NFS: Porsche Unleashed" is almost basically European-exclusive even in tracks. The courses are a mix of open circuits (some with multiple routes) and closed circuits. The variety is unique ranging from traditional European country drives to urban locales. All can be raced in the normal direction or in reverse.

If you prefer to test your driving skills, try the Factory Driver mode, where you are a Porsche factory driver taking on various tasks and orders. These orders range from testing out cars to delivering cars across a certain location without getting into trouble.

As mentioned before, there is no shortage of things you can do in this game. Here is a video preview of this game. It features one of many Porsches you can unlock in this game:



So allow me to talk more about this game. Read on for more on "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed."

--- Cars of "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" ---

Unlike other NFS titles, you exclusively race, tune, and even modify Porsches. This game allows you to set up some quick races with any number of available Porsche models. The real merit of this game lies in getting these cars in Evolution mode.

Any Porsche in this game can be glanced upon and opened. You can open the doors, let down any convertible tops, open the trunk/boot, open the front hood/bonnet, and even get inside the car. The game allows you a level of immersion never made possible in almost any game before it.

While you can purchase cars as new, you can find some damaged Porsches for lower prices. You will need to pay a good price to have them fully repaired. You can even sell your own Porsche in the game. All you have to do is set the price for someone to sell it. I recommend selling your Porsche for its current price rather than ask for something too high.

You can gain an edge in races by purchasing parts for your Porsche. Purchasing parts and upgrades for your Porsche allows you to improve its performance and do a better job in races. You can equip parts for your car for competition in races. Parts can even be sold if you're strapped for cash in the game.

With almost any car you own in the game, you can customize its appearance. You can give your car a new set of wheels, a certain livery, change the colors of it, and more. It's YOUR Porsche- do what you want with it with the options available!

--- Tracks of "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" ---

The game only has four courses when you start out, but more will be available as you progress through the game. These tracks consist of both open-road courses and closed-circuit tracks. The tracks can be raced normally or in the reverse direction, and you can choose toggle traffic on or off for each course. The game almost exclusively takes place in Europe on European tracks, and mostly either in France or Germany, including the city-state of Monaco. Here are four of the many courses offered:

Côte d'Azur.

Not to be confused with the Côte d'Azur of the Gran Turismo games, this is a country drive through a lovely French setting at sunset. It is an open-road course rated at Beginner difficulty. Enjoy this coastal drive that takes you through a village and even features undulating roads with large hill and mountain walls outlining most of the course.

Normandie.

Here is another lovely French setting at sunset at Beginner difficulty. Among its highlights are its lovely Fall/Autumn setting and the forest setting. It features a lovely country drive that includes a little drive through a village and some industrial land.

Pyrénées.

This Advanced level course is a tricky open circuit run in the daytime. This southern France course can be tricky to master. Some of its highlights include forests with some alternative roads (including dirt roads) to drive on. There is also some farm land that accentuates some of this venue. In fact, I am almost certain this is a venue that features some land suitable for making wine. After all, the French are known for making fine wine. It is yet another humble country drive with a beautiful mountain range in the distance.

Monte Carlo 3.

"NFS: Porsche Unleashed" does NOT feature the Monaco Grand Prix course Formula 1 races. However, you can still race in this lovely city at night. It is an Expert-rated course designed to test you in every way possible.


You can race more tracks by progressing through the game. One other track I will make a brief preview of is Zone Industrielle- a difficult urban open course run in an industrial sector of a city on a stormy evening.

--- "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" - Factory Driver ---

Try out these challenges for Porsche Unleashed. Factory Driver features you driving many different Porsches while taking on certain objectives. You will be asked to do everything from testing out certain Porsches to performing delivery tasks. Completing the tasks successfully will give you more challenging ones.

--- "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" Final Thoughts ---

While not an overly exciting NFS title, Porsche Unleashed is a title you can't help but appreciate for its focus on a certain marque. Maybe my only complaint is that I wished more Porsche race cars would be featured. I think it's pretty disappointing to just focus so much on road-going Porsches and not feature more racing Porsches. After all, Porsches are racing machines. They have been vastly established in motorsports as much as they have been in road-going cars. It is the ONLY thing I would change about this game if I were in charge of "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed." Otherwise, it may just be the greatest racing game devoted to one specific auto maker ever created. The fact this game was in 2000 doesn't take away from the fact it has gorgeous graphics and visuals that are still lovely to this day. Anyone who even remotely cares about sports cars should give "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" a try.

Personal Commentary on Featuring Porsche.

If you ask me personally, this is Electronic Arts' best utilization of their Porsche for as long as EA games have featured Porsche. They haven't done much a damn thing since except produce mostly substandard racing games with Porsche. This is basically EA saying "we don't care if you think we make crappy racing games with the Porsche license. We're Electronic Arts, damn you!" The grubby exclusive contract of Porsche has led certain other developers to not be able to fully utilize featuring Porsche. That was the fate as Turn 10, the creators of the Forza Motorsport series, had to settle for Ruf in Forza Motorsport 4. This is even though Turn 10 had a good deal going for the previous three Forza titles using Porsche. This time, they just decide to not give Forza fans Porsche.

On the other hand, why have an exclusive contract to offer to a game developer? By saying you offer an exclusive contract, you are saying that only one company is best equipped and able to feature a certain company (let alone a car company) and its products. You would fear for some no-talent game developer would take a certain car company's products and make toilet bowl-worthy games with that license. All due respect to Electronic Arts, but what good has EA done with the Porsche license? Why not offer usage of Porsche automobiles to other developers, like... I don't know, Polyphony Digital? Maybe SimBin? At least these are worthy and talented developers who can use such car companies to enhance the scope of cars featured in the respective companies' racing franchises. But... I guess EA seemed to be the ones best able to somehow feature and continually feature Porsche products. At least, to Porsche (or whomever is behind EA getting an exclusive contract with Porsche).

If you really want to make good use of featuring Porsche in games, why not make something like a Porsche Cup game or something? How about some racing games highlighting Porsche's racing history as well as their road car history? Even "Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli" did a semi-decent job at highlighting the Ferrari Challenge and several different Ferraris in history. "NFS: Porsche Unleashed" did a great job highlighting on Porsches past and present.

IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING... I had planned on making a blog post regarding Forza 4 not being able to feature Porsche for the first time in FM's history. This section you just read was somewhat a preview of what I had planned for that blog post.

What If: "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2?"

As much as I'd be inclined to see it happen, there are two reasons why this would never happen- (1) racing game culture has changed as a whole, and (2) a game like this probably wouldn't be as successful in this climate of racing games. Most games highlighting one specific auto maker just doesn't bear as much weight and as much significance as back then. Today's racing game culture is more along the lines of featuring as many cars from as many different auto makers as possible. Take my Porsche Cup example from the previous section. People can still make great Porsche Cup mods (like for rFactor), but could EA make a competent enough Porsche Cup game? I don't think even Slightly Mad Studios (the people behind the "NFS: Shift" series) could even come up with a decent model. The Need for Speed series is all about intense arcade-style racing, and I don't think you can really do Porsche justice by featuring their cars in a setting like what most NFS games deliver.

A more dedicated developer would probably do a better job showcasing Porsche in such a positive light as what "NFS: Porsche Unleashed" did in 2000. NFS is now just too far off-base from what the classic NFS titles have offered to its fans. More care for NFS is in Hollywood action and illegal street racing (including the recently-released "Need for Speed: The Run") than the simple joy of racing a car in anger to its limits. This is even more reason to care about "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" if you are a classic racing gamer and a purist of NFS' past.


Do you want to buy this game? Help support my work by getting this game on Amazon. Here are your choices:


^ "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed" for PC, PlayStation 1, and Game Boy Advance.


^ Need for Speed Collection for PC (which includes "Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed."

--- NFS Collection: A Special Note ---

Before I conclude this post, I must bring something up.

Here is one thing I want to say regarding the NFS Collection. I've reviewed every title in the NFS collection package (NFS2: SE, NFS3: Hot Pursuit, NFS: High Stakes, and NFS: Porsche Unleashed) except "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2." I had bought this collection years ago. "NFS: Hot Pursuit 2" comes with a code for you to play that game. I had lost my code for that game long ago, so I will be unable to review that game for all of you. It wouldn't make sense to talk about a game I've played illegally. So therefore, I won't discuss "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2" unless I really get a proper version of the game and have played enough of it to properly review it.





Otherwise, thank you for reading this post!

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The Impact of Hosting F1 Grands Prix

The impact of a nation hosting a Grand Prix race is immense. Formula One is the world's premier motorsport. Being able to host a race featuring the world's most sophisticated race cars with some of the world's greatest drivers speaks high volumes. I began to think about this topic somewhat and decided to blog about it. I am blogging about this topic to answer this question: what do YOU think it means for a nation or a certain city to host a Formula One Grand Prix race?

I don't consider myself an F1 fanatic, but I do welcome all racing fans including the F1 fanatics. Most of this blog post pertains to Formula 1 Grands Prix. However, this can also apply to MotoGP Grands Prix as well.

--- My Initial Thoughts ---

^ from: www.topnews.in - Hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix is ALWAYS a big deal considering the scope and appeal F1 racing provides internationally.

Hosting a Formula One Grand Prix race at a competitive venue means that you invite the best drivers and best race cars to an intense racing challenge. As long as the venue is a homologated FIA Grade 1 facility suitable enough for F1 racing (some tracks are FIA Grade 1 facilities, but for testing only), just being able to host a round of the Formula 1 World Championship in whatever country or city is always something to be pleased with. A number of tracks and venues make provisional or preliminary schedules, but never actually get raced. I blogged once about the Autopolis Circuit on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The track itself is very challenging (as are most Japanese courses). But... it just didn't get to be raced as part of the F1 World Championship.

Obviously, if you're going to bring some of the best race car drivers in the world with some of the most sophisticated racing machines in the world, it is best have a track long enough and challenging enough to test the limits of an F1 racer. I have always wondered what makes Formula 1 so challenging (and I mean this in a respectful light). I mean, is it the fact you have to have such incredible reaction times to handle an extremely fast circuit racing car? Is it the challenge of the tracks themselves? Is it about building the ultimate racing car... up against the ultimate racing cars as other teams see fit? The ultimate test of F1 drivers and teams is to take part in Grands Prix around the world as well as in addressing individual challenges F1 provides.

--- Hosting F1 Grands Prix ---

Let's take a look at some of the nations to host F1 Grands Prix this past decade (2001-2010). Here were some of the nations to host F1 races either for the first time or first time in a long time: Turkey (Istanbul Park), Singapore (Marina Bay Street Circuit), Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit), Bahrain (Bahrain International Circuit), China (Shanghai International Circuit), and the Korea Republic (Korean International Circuit). Let's not forget the return of F1 to the United States at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before that, the United States had F1 Grand Prix action in a number of places- Sebring, the streets of Dallas, Las Vegas, Riverside International Raceway, the streets of Detroit, Watkins Glen International... all among other places. You can add India and Moscow (Russia) to the list of future F1 racing venues for when the Grand Prix races for these locations are run proper.

The impact is huge to host an F1 Grand Prix race. I sometimes like to think of F1 Grand Prix races to be like the World Cup. All the attention is usually paid to one place as the sport's or league's stars all converge to do battle on the track. In today's modern F1, most everything has to be modern or futuristic. At no point was this more apparent than when the streets of Singapore hosted Formula 1's first ever night race (or at least the first-ever F1 race run under artificial lighting. A lively and energetic city-state like Singapore provides an outstanding setting for which to host something exciting like the Singapore Grand Prix.

I am someone who believes that money talks. If you can throw money at something, you can do almost whatever you want. Evidence of this in racing is when tracks in the Middle East started coming up. Think about it- there were hardly any Middle Eastern racing venues until recent times. One of the first venues to come to mind in this subject matter is the Dubai Autodrome. The Dubai Autodrome is evidence of this. There is already lots of money with oil and tourism in the United Arab Emirates, so having a world-class racing facility like this is wonderful for racing fans in Dubai. Sadly for Dubai, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi seems to mostly overshadow a great track like the Dubai Autodrome.

So I think if there is a good enough financial base and a fairly decent population, you could almost basically take Formula 1 anywhere. But ANYWHERE? I'll put that to the test in the next section!

--- What If... Future Nations/Cities to Host Grands Prix? ---

The previous section involved hosting F1 Grands Prix. This section, though, pertains to what if certain nations or cities had their own F1 Grand Prix venues. Some of the nations and cities you see mentioned here may have never had F1 race there or even had drivers from these nations compete in Formula 1.

What if nations and/or cities like the following hosted F1 Grand Prix events? You may see some surprising and interesting choices for F1 Grands Prix (hypothetical names used):

Grand Prix of Mexico?

The last F1 race in Mexico was back in 1992 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The new Circuit of the Americas is sort of a de facto course for Mexico, even though this track is based south of Austin, Texas, USA. There was once a planned venue for Formula 1 to race in Mexico on the streets of Cancun. Whether or not this deal is on or not is beyond me.

Grand Prix of Venezuela?

Though there are racers from Venezuela, Autódromo Internacional Pancho Pepe Cróquer (or better known as Turagua) is about the only proper racing facility in Venezuela. Turagua is more like a club-level circuit from pictures I've seen. Surely not an FIA Category 1 course. However, it would be interesting to see Formula 1 in the country where the world's largest waterfall (Angel Falls) is located. I think the Caracas market would be the biggest market to potentially have any major racing facility and the biggest market to perhaps host such a major racing event.

Grand Prix of Iceland?

You want crazy? This would be it! This country does bear a touch of relevance because there was a planned race track to be constructed in Iceland called Iceland MotoPark. Haven't found anything to suggest this track was actually created or not. This would likely be a course that would have been home ground for the Iceland A1GP team. The only city I (or most other people) know of is Reykjavik, so that HAS to be a primary market in considering an F1 venue.

Grand Prix of Portugal?

The Formula 1 World Championship once considered Estoril home. A recently-built track in Portugal is the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. This track is certainly long enough to host an F1 race at about 2.9 miles in length. However, I think F1 teams use Portimão as a test venue. It's a very nice track from what I've seen in pictures and video.

Grand Prix of Sweden?

Swedish folk have a lot of great race tracks. Mantorp Park is the one I know best of and love most. I am familiar with Anderstorp from playing the very first GTR. I know Sweden in racing for the wonderful Rally Sweden.

Grand Prix of Finland?

With so much racing on and off road, it's sad that Finland doesn't have its own F1 Grand Prix. You can name just about any Finnish racing talent. I get a lot of traffic from Finland, so I wonder how my Finland readers would feel about seeing today's F1 in Finland. Finland does have a good amount of proper racing facilities. To me, though, only the Helsinki Thunder street course from the mid-1990s comes to mind as far as the only tracks I can readily think of in Finland. I would have to imagine that a proper track capable of hosting a modern F1 race would probably be based in southern Finland or southwestern Finland in terms of a general market.

Grand Prix of Estonia?

A country I have recently grown to love is Estonia. Especially with cities like Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia is a very beautiful country from what I have seen in pictures and video. The only Estonian in racing I've heard of is Markko Martin. There is a permanent facility in Estonia called the Pärnu Ring, but it seems a lot like a club-level circuit.

Grand Prix of Switzerland?

There hasn't been much motor racing in Switzerland unless you go back in time. Many people will immediately think of Alain Menu as far as Swiss racing talent is concerned. I read of a former race track called Bremgarten in Swiss motor racing history. It was a 4+ mile race course mostly on public forested roads. Its danger made this course basically go defunct after a while.

Grand Prix of Austria?

A1 Ring last saw F1 action in 2003. Since 2004, A1 Ring has been mostly disused. I've heard two different reports on this track- either it's been completely deconstructed and gone for good, and another source says that this track has been reconfigured mostly to host touring car racing. The best thing about the A1 Ring was the beautiful view of the Austrian countryside provided. It was also a very tough track with lots of elevation changes and some very decisive sharp turns.

Grand Prix of Croatia?

The beautiful country of Croatia doesn't have any really major series racing on tracks in Croatia. Really, Croatia has the Automotodrom Grobnik in Rijeka, Croatia. I wonder if Croatia would be a good enough place to maybe host an F1 Grand Prix race.

Grand Prix of Azerbaijan?

Azerbaijan is Europe's southeasternmost nation. It is a country whose coastline makes up part of the northern half of the Caspian Sea. There is no motor racing of any kind that I'm aware of in Azerbaijan. However, its capital city of Baku (which is a Sister City of Houston) is a lovely place and is even an oil capital. This alone could be either possibility to host an F1 race on the streets of Baku or some modern F1 track near Baku.

Grand Prix of Egypt?

Back in the mid-2000s, there was a track to be called Ghazala Bay that would host Formula 3 racing. That track, for what I know, NEVER materialized. What if Formula 1 wanted to race in Egypt? The only three major cities I know of in Egypt are Cairo (the capital), Aswan, and Alexandria.

Grand Prix of Morocco?

The streets of Marrakech have been the recent home of racing in Morocco. Even well before this, Formula 1 used to race in Morocco decades ago. Would it be possible for Morocco to maybe have a permanent racing facility to host a round of today's F1 World Championship? Tell you what- the Marrakech street course was made for touring car racing. It would be too boring for F1 cars.

Grand Prix of Kenya?

Kenya is better known in racing as the home of the Safari Rally. I would not be sure if there would be enough financial backing or space to come up with a modern Formula 1 track in Kenya. It would be entertaining to see F1 race there considering the possibility of a heavy rain storm in Kenya for an F1 race.

Grand Prix of Israel?

I started a thread on GTPlanet.net regarding the Middle East's emergence into motorsport. One person posted something about an attempted Formula Two (not F1) once racing in Israel in 1970, but the race was canceled because of poor crowd control. The race was held during Sabbath, which probably made things worse trying to control crowds. A motorsports law was approved in Israel last year or some five years ago. Would Israel be a candidate to host an F1 Grand Prix? It would be yes if there was enough interest and a lot of financial backing to build a quality modern F1 circuit.

By the way, if you're interested in that thread I started regarding the emergence of motorsport in the Middle East, check out "Emergence of Racing in Middle East" on gtplanet.net.

Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia?

To begin the Middle Eastern swing of this blog post, I start with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a track called Reem International Circuit that is 2.36 miles in length. A number of racing series have some major races here for both cars and motorcycles. I'd imagine that Saudi Arabia would be a significant market for any such motorsport in the Middle East besides Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Grand Prix of Qatar?

The Losail International Circuit is the only real contribution to motor racing unless Losail somehow isn't good enough for Formula 1. Now, this track was basically made for motorcycles. This track plays host to the Doha 8 Hour race as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Qatar will play host to the 2022 World Cup. If you think Qatar is on the rise, then you can say that Qatar would be a nice market for F1. The only exception is if F1 doesn't want to host three races in the Middle East.

Grand Prix of Kazakhstan?

The reason why I mention Kazakhstan is because Hermann Tilke had a planned racing venue for the Middle Eastern nation called Kazakhstan MotorCity. Not sure about the status of it, but it made me wonder if Kazakhstan would make for a future country for F1 to visit and hold a race at.

Grand Prix of Vietnam?

It would be most interesting if Vietnam had a Grand Prix. Remember how I said that if you throw money at something, you could make any kind of statement you want? Well, imagine this happening to Vietnam. I have created a number of fictional race tracks; four of which in Vietnam. The premier one I've envisioned was a racing facility not far away from downtown Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam). Again- would be interesting if there was a sparkling, modern, FIA Category 1 racing track in Vietnam. The chances of it actually materializing? Very unlikely.

Grand Prix of Thailand?

Staying in Southeast Asia, I've somewhat pondered if there was an F1 Grand Prix of Thailand. There was an arcade-only F1 racing game from Taito called "Ground Effects." In the 1992 arcade game "Ground Effects," one of the venues is a fantasy course based in Thailand. Thailand has two real tracks to my knowledge- Bira International Circuit and Thailand Circuit. So I have to wonder what if Formula One wanted to hold a Grand Prix race in Thailand. It would either have to be some really modern F1 racing facility or maybe a race around the streets of Bangkok. I think the key market has to be Bangkok.

Grand Prix of Indonesia?

The world's largest archipelago in area is Indonesia. The Republic of Indonesia has a great racing facility that has played host to A1GP racing at the Sentul Circuit. Indonesia even played host to a round of the World Rally Championship in the mid-1990s. The two biggest races in Southeast Asia are the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang and the street course around Marina Bay in Singapore. If there was a third F1 Grand Prix to be held in Southeast Asia, Indonesia would be a pretty nice candidate.

Grand Prix of Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is a lively city. If you have played Gran Turismo 4, you may have ran a number of laps around the Hong Kong circuit. Hong Kong at night would be insane to have an F1 race around. Hong Kong looks spectacular at night. This could be a race to maybe outdo (or try to) Singapore's F1 course. Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China would be interesting if it did materialize. I don't think it will, though.

Grand Prix of the Philippines?

There is racing that goes on in the Philippines. Perhaps the toughest Filipino race track is the Batangas Circuit. Only other racing track I've heard of in the Philippines is Subic Bay Raceway. Would there be enough to have a major racing circuit in the Philippines? Not likely, but it would be interesting to see one such course there to host F1 if it were ever to happen.

Grand Prix of New Zealand?

World Rally races in New Zealand. The Australian V8 Supercar Series has rounds in New Zealand at Hamilton and Pukekohe. One of the biggest off-road races is the Taupo 1000. There is a tough targa rally called Targa New Zealand. New Zealand was an A1GP country with races at the beautiful Taupo Motorsport Park. The Millen racing family is from New Zealand. So... what if there was an F1 Grand Prix of New Zealand? There used to be a Pacific Grand Prix in the 1990s in Japan as well as this being a non-championship race in the 1960s at Laguna Seca. Well, imagine if New Zealand joined the F1 circus. A Grand Prix race in New Zealand would be a great South Pacific F1 deal, perhaps even one that could possibly lure some New Zealanders into F1. From one website I visited, there have been eight drivers from New Zealand to compete in F1. One of the most famous was Bruce McLaren from Auckland. What if young Shane Van Gisbergen (who is also from Auckland, New Zealand) wanted to step up to Formula 1 and perhaps challenge Australia's Mark Webber for Australasian pride in F1? There is not much motor racing culture in the South Pacific besides in Australia and New Zealand. Either a modern circuit would have to be constructed, or perhaps Taupo Motorsport Park gets a whole lot of money to be renovated severely to host an F1 race. It is an FIA Grade 2 track at present.





There were some places I didn't mention. One of them was South Africa because there is a rumor that F1 may return to South Africa, but race on a street course rather than renovate Kyalami. Only street course I recall before this possible new F1 street course was in Durban with the A1 Grand Prix. So I didn't mention them. I also didn't mention a few other places because I wanted to be realistic in showcasing certain nations in motor racing.

Your comments are welcome involving the impact of Formula 1 Grands Prix for the nations that host these events. That even pertains to creating courses that would greatly compliment today's Formula 1 racing. Thank you for reading!

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Resurrecting Hang-On

Besides OutRun, Hang-On is one of the premier classic racing franchises from Sega. Hang-On is all about high-speed sportbike racing on the open road. The choices for games for motorcycle racing fans are far and between. As much as I love cool cars, I also love some sweet motorcycles. I am mostly into sportbikes. Sega has given the green light to revive certain past franchises and past games. If there was another title to get new-age treatment, could the Hang-On franchise be in the near future? I speculate and offer ideas on what would make a proper resurrection (even if for one time only) of the only other popular classic Sega racing series besides any of the 3D Sega racing games. Unless you think today's Sega is a shadow of its former self, this is a great opportunity for Sega to breathe new life into another classic.

This blog post is a look at what it would take to not only bring back Hang-On, but make a proper and complete 21st Century version of this classic franchise.

--- Hang-On in Retrospect ---

The Hang-On franchise has always been about racing on the open road against other motorcycles. There is no competitive position for position racing in the classic Hang-On games. You simply have to reach the checkpoints within the allowed time. Crashing even once can really hurt your chances of beating the entire course.

Hang-On.

SAMPLE VIDEO:


The original Hang-On was released in arcades in 1985. It would later be released as a home version for the Sega Master System. This game featured only one course with five individual stages.

* The first stage takes place in a mountainous setting.
* The second stage goes through some sort of grassy setting.
* The third stage takes place on highway roads in a desert.
* The fourth stage winds its way through city streets at night.
* The fifth and final stage goes through what looks like a proper race track.

If you crash just once in this game, it seems like your hopes at victory are almost impossible. While there are no licensed motorcycles, the ending suggests that you ride on a Honda motorcycle.

You can play this as a mini-game in Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast.

Super Hang-On.

SAMPLE VIDEO:


Super Hang-On is by far the best Hang-On in the series. This 1987 game took all the elements of the original title and expands upon it. You now can race four different courses taking you all over the world. You can race up to 280 kilometers per hour, but you could go even faster- up to 324 kph! Just activate the turbos when at 280 kph to go faster. This game would be released for the Genesis/Megadrive and even include a special mode that allows you to upgrade your motorcycle. Here is a look at the courses you can race in:

* NOVICE COURSE - race a six-stage tour through Africa.
* JUNIOR COURSE - challenge a ten-stage tour through the roads of Asia.
* SENIOR COURSE - go full speed through a 14-stage tour on the roads and highways of America.
* EXPERT COURSE - challenge a grueling 18-stage tour through Europe, which boast the world's toughest roads.

In addition to picking between four different courses, you can even select from four different rock songs to enjoy your two-wheeled fun. I found some YouTube videos in case you want to listen to these songs yourself. All songs are from the arcade version:

* "Outride a Crisis"


* "Sprinter" (Arcade Version)


* "Winning Run" (Arcade version)


* "Hard Road" (Arcade version)


Super Hang-On simply delivered one of the most impressive experiences Hang-On fans will not forget anytime soon. Here is a sample of Super Hang-On for the arcade:

Hang-On Grand Prix '95.

For the Sega Saturn, there was a little-known title called Hang On GP '95. This is probably little-known for a big reason- it was completely unlike the classic Hang-On games. Whereas you would race in point-to-point fashion in the previous two Hang-On games, you race exclusively on closed circuits and may even make pit stops. On the other hand, you can choose between various motorcycles of various performance characteristics. Bikes are graded on brakes, engine, frame, and grip. Three race tracks are in the game, and each one features both a regular course and a long course.

The game seems very disappointing, especially if you are a fan of classic Hang-On games. It's almost feels like Sega took "Manx TT Superbike" (which was also released for home consoles) and marketed it under the Hang-On. Here is a gameplay sample video for you. Judge this game for yourself based on this video by one of my YouTube friends:




Now that you have retrospect, it's time to look to the future and speculate. But first, here is a little insight from a non-related game. Make sure you're reading the full blog post to know what game I am going to mention. If you aren't reading the full post, click "Read More" to read the rest of this blog post in full.

--- Non-Related: Racing Hero Influence ---

Racing Hero was a game released in 1988 in arcades. It was a hybrid of Hang-On and OutRun. You race on a motorcycle against other motorcycles (and cars) while also selecting what route you want to take. Each country featured two stages. The first stage has you against motorcycles and car traffic, and the second stage is a tougher stage with you versus other motorcycles. You have only 60 seconds to clear each stage. Upon completion of one country (you start in Australia), you choose the next country to race in. You race a total of four countries and eight stages of racing.

Why am I mentioning this game? Elements of this game tie into how I think a resurrection of Hang-On should be. This blog post is NOT about Racing Hero. However, in case you're interested as to what Racing Hero is like, check out "Racing Hero - arcade game by Sega, 1989" on YouTube.

--- Resurrecting Hang-On: General Points ---

So how would you create a new-age Hang-On title? I think as much as the OutRun 2 series was a real testament for OutRun fans, I think equal respect needs to be given to Hang-On fans. There are a number of Sega fans who probably think that today's Sega is merely a shadow of its former self. Because of this, not as many people would think Sega is even capable of reviving a franchise like Hang-On, even if for just one last time.

We need to look at Hang-On across a number of different aspects to determine what is the best way (and the right way) to revive a classic franchise like Hang-On. Nobody wants a disgraceful revival of a classic franchise. What would be the best way to revive a classic franchise like Hang-On? Here are variables to consider:

* motorcycles - what motorcycles should be used?
* locations/tracks - what venues and locales should be featured?
* racing - how do you pattern the racing?
* completion - how do you bring it all together?

Time to take this further.

--- Resurrecting Hang-On: Motorcycles ---

The first order of business is deciding on what motorcycles to feature. If there is one aspect of past racing games, there were not as many racing games that felt like licensed material was needed to sell it. Big contrast to today. About the only modern racing game series to feature non-licensed machines is the Burnout series. Then again, what company would want to see their licensed products go through Hell like in a Burnout game? I think this is an age where there is incentive in featuring actual products in various forms of entertainment to promote and expose products. So therefore, there can be NO faceless motorcycles. No fantasy motorcycles. There has to be real-world motorcycles people can associate with and feel like they are really using something authentic. OutRun 2 featured Ferraris even though most people already know that almost every OutRun game in history has featured Ferrari or Ferrari-like cars.

There is a big contrast between cars and motorcycles that makes this venture different. You can easily tell what a fantasy car resembles by going on its visual cues. You can tell what is a Lamborghini or a Porsche on only a few visual cues. Motorcycles, however, can be tough. You may know it's a sport bike, but who makes it? How can you tell a Honda from a Suzuki on design cues? Because of how anonymous sport bikes can be style-wise, that's why you tend to see more generic sport bikes than you do any licensed bikes in many games. You immediately assume it's a sport bike and not even know what company makes it, and you're not able to readily tell it apart from any other licensed bike.

Unlike the OutRun 2 series, which exclusively features Ferraris, there should be a mixed bag of motorcycles to compliment many varities of motorcycle fans. What should suffice is a general assortment of popular sport motorcycles. The Hang-On games have exclusively been about sport bikes and racing bikes, so it would be rather pointless to ruin the flow with cruisers and choppers. Any featured motorcycles will have to be sport bikes at least in the supersport/middleweight range. So no entry-level motorcycles can be added because it would dilute the arcade feel of Hang-On and take away from the high-speed trills associated with the Hang-On series. As a final extract of this resurrected Hang-On, I am considering racing bikes to go along with this package. A host of road-going sport bikes along with tuned versions and racing versions will make the overall lineup of motorcycles exceptional.

Therefore, the best fit for motorcycles would be a host of road-going bikes along with racing or tuned versions for the best experience. That's right- I'm patterning the choice of motorcycles like in "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast." You have a host of motorcycles to choose from followed by upgraded versions in their own class. This is much like the road-going Ferraris in "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast" being complimented by the OutRun class of Ferraris. And if you will, you can call the upgraded/racing motorcycles as the Hang-On class. Since this game features many manufacturers of motorcycle, I want to make things fun and include a few different (as in DIFFERENT) motorcycles apart from the sport bikes. I have a funky list of unique motorcycles lined up later in this section, so keep reading!


--- Building the Motorcycle List ---
BEFORE I BEGIN: I do not know my older motorcycles, so I will stick to more recent models.

This is not any kind of official list, but some machines to consider when building a proper list of motorcycles for such a game. Now please note- this is not any kind of official list of motorcycles. Instead, more like a mix of motorcycles to help fill each rank. Here are some motorcycles for discussion for each class of sportbike:

Supersport.

This is a makeshift list of motorcycles to feature:
* Triumph Daytona 675
* Honda CBR600RR
* Honda VFR800 Interceptor
* Yamaha YZF-R6
* Suzuki GSX
* Ducati 848
* Ducati 848EVO
* Kawasaki ZX-6R
* Hyosung GT650R
* MV Agusta F3
* Aprilia RS 750 Triple
* BMW F800S

Superbike.

* Honda CBR1000RR
* Yamaha YZF-R1
* Suzuki GSX-R 1000
* Kawasaski ZX-10R
* Ducati 999R
* Ducati 1098S
* Ducati 1198S
* Ducati Desmosedici RR
* MV Augusta F4
* Augusta RSV4
* BMW S1000R
* Bimota DB8
* Benelli Tornado Tre
* Buell 1125R
* KTM 1198 RC8

Hyper Sport.

These are monster machines- high displacement (1100cc displacement or more) and high speed. These bikes are in a class of their own.
* Suzuki Hayabusa
* Kawasaki ZX-14R

Specialty/Others.

Imagine if this new-age Hang-On had a few motorcycles in... just 'cause. This would be my oddball list of motorcycles to feature in this game. These are some bonus motorcycles that would be fun to unlock:
* BRP Can-Am Spyder
* Peraves Monotracer
* Ducati Multistrada
* Campagna T-Rex
* Yamaha Vmax
* Honda VFR1200F
* Harley-Davidson VR 1000


This is a general assortment of motorcycles to fuel interest for a general list of motorcycles.

--- Resurrecting Hang-On: Tracks/Locations ---

A racing game is nothing without places to contest speed at, so how do you come up with a set of venues for Hang-On to be contested? Do you go point-to-point like the classic Hang-On titles? Do you feature a handful of circuits? Or... do you feature a combination of the two?

Take a game like "OutRun 2" and "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast." Both games exclusively feature point-to-point venues. Remember I mentioned Racing Hero earlier? Racing Hero is somewhat like a combination of OutRun and Hang-On. It would be a bit tough to try to bring the appeal of split-road racing since Hang-On games have mostly been about point-to-point racing.

Locales.

The venues will either consist of real-world venues or specific locations. This will be a general assortment of locations based on four international regions: Pan-America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific.

Here are some locations that I think would be great if you're talking about venues to consider for a new-age Hang-On. These consist both of general locations and tracks. Any cities mentioned will likely be locations with roads and trails inspired by the specific locations:

--- Pan-America (North and South America) ---
These are
* New York City
* Chicago
* Detroit
* Appalachian Mountains
* Miami
* Road Atlanta
* Texas Hill Country
* Phoenix
* Miller Motorsports Park
* San Diego
* Laguna Seca
* California Coastline
* Yosemite National Park
* Sequoia Forest
* Portland (Oregon)
* Seattle
* Vancouver
* Toronto
* St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
* Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
* San Luis Potosi, Mexico
* Tijuana, Mexico
* Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
* Mexico City, Mexico
* Machu Picchu, Peru
* Rio de Janerio, Brazil
* Sao Paulo, Brazil
* Interlagos
* Santiago, Chile
* Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Rosario, Argentina

--- Europe ---
These are just a mixed bag of venues to think of if making a Hang-On game in the European sector:
* London, England
* Manchester, England
* Brands Hatch (GP course)
* Isle of Man TT Course (Snaefell Mountain Course)
* Cardiff, Wales
* Swansea, Wales
* Black Mountains (Wales)
* Dublin, Ireland
* Lisbon, Portugal
* Barcelona, Spain
* Madrid, Spain
* Ibiza, Spain
* Jerez
* Circuit de Catalunya
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey, Channel Islands
* Bordeaux, France
* Paris, France
* Bugatti Circuit
* St. Tropez, France
* Marseille, France
* Monte Carlo, Monaco
* Corsica
* Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
* Brussels, Belgium
* Copenhagen, Denmark
* Nürburgring (the Nordschleife)
* Cologne, Germany
* German countryside
* Vienna, Austria
* Swiss countryside
* Grindelwald, Switzerland
* Modena, Italy
* Tuscan countryside
* Rome, Italy
* Mugello
* Misano
* Kotor, Montenegro
* Athens, Greece
* Mykonos
* Thessaloniki, Greece
* Sofia, Bulgaria
* Zagreb, Croatia
* Bratislava, Slovakia
* Kiev, Ukraine
* Vilnius, Lithuania
* Riga, Latvia
* Tartu, Estonia
* Tallinn, Estonia
* Helsinki, Finland
* Stockholm, Sweden
* Mantorp Park
* Oslo, Norway
* Tromso, Norway
* Reykjavik, Iceland
* Moscow, Russia
* St. Petersburg, Russia
* Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
* Baku, Azerbaijan
* Tbilsi, [Republic of] Georgia
* Yerevan, Armenia

--- Africa ---
The Novice Course in Super Hang-On only consisted of six stages. What would be places to consider to go two-wheeling on for a new-age Hang-On? Here are a few suggestions (and I have MUCH more than six):

* Cairo, Egypt
* Aswan, Egypt
* Alexandria, Egypt
* Tunis, Tunisia
* Casablanca, Morocco
* Marrakech, Morocco
* Dakar, Senegal
* Lagos, Nigeria
* Luanda, Angola
* Nairobi, Kenya
* Kenya plains
* Ugandan countryside
* Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
* Johannesburg, South Africa
* Durban, South Africa
* Durban Street Circuit (as raced by the former A1GP)
* Cape Town, South Africa
* Pretoria, South Africa
* Kyalami
* Phakisa Freeway
* East London Prince George Circuit
* Antananarivo, Madagascar
* Port Louis, Mauritius

--- Asia-Pacific ---
This encompasses a broad array of locations: Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australiasia. So you will see a LOT of places mentioned. Again- think more about the general locaton and area rather than just the actual places:

* Istanbul, Turkey
* Ankara, Turkey
* Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* Tel Aviv, Israel
* Beirut, Lebanon
* Amman, Jordan
* Dubai, United Arab Emirates
* Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
* Losail International Circuit
* Kathmandu, Nepal
* Thimphu, Bhutan
* Tibet
* Gujarat (a state in India)
* Mumbai, India
* Calcutta, India
* Taj Mahal (Agra, India)
* Columbo, Sri Lanka
* Kandy, Sri Lanka
* Male, Maldives
* Dhaka, Bangladesh
* Chittagong, Bangladesh
* Yangon, Myanmar
* Bangkok, Thailand
* Bira International Circuit
* Sepang International Circuit
* Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
* Jakarta, Indonesia
* Sentul Circuit
* Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
* Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
* Saigon, Vietnam
* Hanoi, Vietnam
* Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
* Macau Guia Circuit
* Beijing, China
* Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
* Taipei, Taiwan
* Seoul, South Korea
* South Korean countryside
* Tokyo, Japan
* Suzuka Circuit
* Kyoto, Japan
* Fukuoka, Japan
* Oita, Japan
* Hokkaido, Japan
* Japanese mountain roads
* rural Japan
* bamboo forest Japan
* Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
* Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
* Philip Island
* Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
* Uluru, Australia
* Perth, Western Australia, Australia
* Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
* Townsville, Queensland, Australia
* Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
* Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
* Auckland, New Zealand
* Wellington, New Zealand
* Christchurch, New Zealand
* Hamilton, New Zealand
* Taupo Motorsport Park
* Suva, Fiji
* Avarua, Cook Islands
* Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia




So you want an idea of how to put venues together? I will take multiple methods to explain what would be great method for putting tracks together.

Tracks: The Super Hang-On Method.

So let me envision taking Super Hang-On's model and coming up with a makeshift tour. Remember that just because I laid out the region doesn't mean every venue will be featured. Thes are all if I designed a course.

Tracks: The OutRun Series Method.

Complete one stage and choose the next route. The course you choose will open the way to a different route. Make your tour as easy or as tough as you like.

Tracks: The OutRunners Method.

OutRunners began with one simple stage that allowed you to go on a Western or Eastern tour. This vastly improved the replay value of the game as you could choose between two different routes. If involved in a two-player battle, the player leading the other has the choice of West or East.

Tracks: The Racing Hero Method.

When you complete one set of stages, you have the choice afterwards of two different locations to choose from. This probably would work better with the closed-circuit courses than with a combination of open and closed circuits.


What method do YOU think would work better?

--- Resurrecting Hang-On: Gameplay ---

We have bikes, we have tracks... now how do you bring it all together?

For one thing, the action has to be authentic. Anyone who has played a classic Hang-On game knows how starts are made. The race starts with eight bikes (including yours) in delta formation. Seven bikes are ahead of you. All the opposing bikes will all take off from the starting position, and you will start once it's Go time. Remember that there is no position racing in Hang-On. However (and if you want to follow the "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast" model), there may be certain events that have you racing against other bikes to try to win the race.

When going solo, you should have the ability to instantly go faster. 280 kph is about maybe 150 or 160 mph (rough math/guessing). So when you reach a certain speed, you can kick in the turbo to go even faster when at top speed. Sega racing games are known for vicious crashes apart from fun racing. So you have to have brutal crashes like head-on crashes, dumping the bike upon hitting something, and things like that. The bike explodes after a crash in the first Hang-On. You just high-side or have the bike dumped by hitting something off-course hard. As you're down, other bikes pass you by.

A new Hang-on doesn't have to be a Burnout game, so there's no need to contend with traffic. You COULD make the open road experience more like Racing Hero where your opposition is other riders and city traffic. It could make the open road experience a bit more realistic than just other bikes on the road. At the race tracks, it is just you and other riders on the track. The goal for this is the same- cross the checkpoints and beat the course.

I am not sure about introducing mini-games like in the Heart challenges of the OutRun 2 series, though. For now, just keep it as a racing deal. Riding two-up can be challenging anyhow.

--- Can/Will This Happen? ---

If there's enough interest as well as a concerted effort to revive the Hang-On franchise (even if for just one last time), then I definitely think this will happen. It's going to come down to how Sega intends to put the entire package together. If Sega can treat this like a proper "thank you" to fans of the Hang-On series, then this will be a sure modern classic. The series has been around for at least 25 years. If games like OutRun and the Sega Rally series get some updated versions, why not Hang-On?

Will it be successful? It all depends on how Sega markets the whole deal and how much they can infuse new life into an old franchise. Motorcycle racing fans need more motorcycle racing games to add diversity to the racing genre.





I had intended on doing a video for this, but I feel it's best to make a blog post to get things started. Anyhow, that concludes another blog post of mine. I may update it in the future with more content if I feel more should be added (and likely will need to). By the way, I may do a second blog post on this topic in the future with a bit more insight in the tracks and locales aspect of a new-age Hang-On. Thank you for reading!

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Sebring International Raceway

NOTE: Edited for better facts.

Central Florida's formidable race track is Sebring International Raceway. It began life as an Air Force base until it opened as a race track in 1950. I have seen some races where planes still use Sebring. There is a proper airplane runway adjacent to Sebring International Raceway. The venue is best known for the 12 Hours of Sebring, which brings many people out to the track. The race is usually run in the middle of March during Spring Break for most students. Therefore, you can imagine how much of a party atmosphere it can be. Sebring used to serve as the home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix back in 1959 (though it was a financial disaster). The layout was much different then. Today's layout is a 17-turn thrill ride at over 3.7 miles (5.95 kilometers) in length. It is a mix of asphalt and concrete. I don't think anyone cares if this track is aging- Sebring has plenty of character even for a mostly flat track like Sebring. Maybe it's not as glamourous and pretty as any European track where F1 races are held, but this is still an ageless wonder of a race track. If anything, Sebring gets you ready for the big one at Le Mans because of its length and how abusive Sebring is to race on. Other than sportscar racing, it is a great race track for almost any other form of racing ranging from club racing to single-seaters. The only other major event I could think of at Sebring was the event called Sebring Octoberfest, a two-hour long race around Sebring featuring cars from the World Sportscar Championship. The only iteration of this was in 1997. There was also an FIA GT race around Sebring in 1997 that lasted for three hours. Other than that, there aren't too many other international races I can recall in Sebring's history. I doubt this track is even motorcycle racing friendly, so I am not sure this track has hosted any motorcycle racing (whether local or international).

This blog post concerns the track that has been kicking racers' butts for over sixty years- Sebring International Raceway.

--- Sebring International Raceway ---

Here is a map of Sebring International Raceway:

^ from: phors.locost7.info - the track map of the 6th generation of Sebring.

Sebring has gone through six different variations (counting the current one). I was first introduced to this track by playing "Sports Car GT" on both the PC and for the PlayStation 1. You can race this track in the Forza Motorsport series The fact this course is flat just about all around means you really have to judge your braking points well. The most joyous sight to see is four or five (sometimes six) cars wide down the front stretch. Four-wide sportscar racing. Who said sportscar racing doesn't know how to mix things up? Yeah! Take that, NASCAR! :) The toughest part of the track to me is when you head into Turn 7 after blasting down Big Bend (Turn 6). Heading into Turn 7 is where you start to see the Chateau Elan Lodge on the far left. Going full speed down Ullman Straight is always fun... as long as you're not battling the setting sun heading into the appropriately-named Sunset Bend that leads to the Start/Finish line. Nothing like this amazing racing facility.

Here is a video lap around Sebring (David Brabham for Highcroft Racing):

Bonus Video!

And here is a bonus video representing maybe one of the most epic racing moments this decade (2001-2010) at Sebring. Allow me to set it up, and you may know EXACTLY what I'm talking about if you're an ALMS fan- it was a battle in 2007 of [Houston's own] Risi Competizione vs. Flying Lizard. It was the best Ferrari team vs. the best Porsche team. The fireworks went off for Audi winning the 12 Hours of Sebring outright (to the surprise of absolutely nobody), but the REAL fireworks exploded when THIS happened (announcing crew: announcing crew for Speed Channel: Leigh Diffey, Dorsey Schroder, and Calvin Fish):

Lap Times.

The all-time record around Sebring's full course (as of the date of this blog post) is 1:43.274 by a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. Here are some other lap times to take note of:

* Spec Racer Ford - 2:35.100
* Spec Miata - 2:39.700
* Formula Mazda Pro - 1:58.989
* Audi R10 - 1:47.373
* Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a - 1:53.571
* Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - 2:04.547

For more information and more details on lap times and more, visit the Sebring page on trackpedia.com.

--- What If: NASCAR at Sebring? ---

To my knowledge, NASCAR has NEVER held a race around Sebring, especially not among the top three series. NASCAR desperately needs a road course as part of the Chase for the Cup. Don't give me that stuff about how road racing isn't "racing." NASCAR needs something different as far as tracks are concerned. Unless Sebring doesn't have enough pit space for 36 NASCAR Trucks or 43 NASCAR cars, Sebring is perfectly fine a race track. Its bumpy and abrasive nature shouldn't be too much a problem for a stock car or stock truck (though some would complain about the bumpiness of Daytona). NASCAR Cup could just get rid of some insignificant and boring track and put Sebring in its place. Or to make things interesting... make the Homestead race the next-to-last event and make Sebring the final race. Not good at road courses but contesting for a championship? You need to race this course to the best of your ability.

I think NASCAR would be great to see around Sebring. Look at the reception that was given for NASCAR Nationwide at Road America as it replaced the Milwaukee Mile this season. Imagine the battles that could take place on this intense racing facility with stock cars rumbling around. Also- more NASCAR racing in the great state of Florida!

--- What If: Formula 1 Returning to Sebring? ---

Okay, it's a far-fetched concept. However, what if Sebring had some kind of extended makeover just to make Sebring more appealing as a modern European-style F1 Grand Prix venue? The track is certainly long enough at 3.7 miles. I think of Sebring like I think of Road America- a Grand Prix-worthy race course. This track could consistently be good for clocking in laps of about 1:35.000 in today's F1 cars. A track like Sebring, however, doesn't have any grandstands. A total makeover of Sebring just to host an F1 race (and maybe some other forms of international racing) would make Sebring more modern and better as a whole. However, you take away what is missing from a lot of today's Formula 1 racing- character. Do you want to run the risk of ruining Sebring just to host something like a 21st Century F1 race? Also, would someone actually transform and renovate Sebring so much to actually allow this if given the money and time? Think about when the old Hockenheim was taken from that high-speed blast through the forest... to being just another boring European race track. You run the risk of destroying the character of a racing facility when you make such drastic changes. Then too, some are for the better.

I would be curious to see how F1 cars would take on Sebring in its current form. The first F1 race around Sebring was also the last time F1 raced here- 1959.

--- What If: The Return of Sebring Octoberfest? ---

Sebring Octoberfest was a one-time deal where the World Sportscar Championship and FIA GT raced on the same weekend around Sebring. The real problem would be about what cars would race around Sebring. October somewhat belongs to the Petit Le Mans these days. Maybe if it returned, it would be pretty cool as an ALMS All-Star race.

In this day and age, you may also open up Sebring for things like drifting and time attack. When I think of an event with a name like "Octoberfest," it has to be a (not to play on words) a festival of speed around one of America's oldest road racing facilities. What kind of racing could you introduce to Sebring to please racing fans? Just a lot of things to wonder...





I want to say hello to anybody at Sebring International Raceway if anyone there were to actually read this and if they enjoyed my commentary. I'm saying this because I am often surprised at who actually reads my blog and comments on it. Like when I did my blog post about the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, I unexpectedly got a tweet from their Twitter feed complimenting my work. If you produce quality and unique content, you WILL get noticed. You never know who actually will read and admire your work. So if anyone from Sebring International Raceway actually reads this and enjoys what I have posted, I salute you all. Sebring is still a great and formidable race track even sixty years later. Learn more about Sebring International Raceway by visiting their official website at sebringraceway.com.

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What If - a Full Grid of Red Bull X1s?

The Red Bull X1 in Gran Turismo 5 is an insane racing machine. Its speeds and cornering abilities are unreal. Imagine if every driver and every team used their own Red Bull X1s. The X1 was created as a racing machine that wonders what if racing machines had no limits. From what I've read, the Red Bull X1 does not feature any technologies not already found in today's automobiles and race cars. It leaves to the question of if Red Bull and/or Polyphony Digital (or somebody else) would actually produce the X1. Well, here is a baseline to give you an idea as to what could be possible if all current F1 teams all used the same Red Bull X1 (or made their own Red Bull X1s). Here is a note- EVERYTHING is in real time, and it's a two lap run:



Now imagine a full grid of these taking part in an F1 Grand Prix weekend. To me, Formula 1 really requires a great level of physical fitness. If there were 20+ of these for all the drivers, the G-forces exerted would be absolutely insane. Imagine having to have a reaction time much quicker than what most F1 racers are used to anyways. Imagine side-by-side battles in these super racing machines. What if there was a crash? How much safer would it be racing this car compared to racing in a standard F1 car?

It is important to note that this is merely a concept- just like the Nike One 2022 in Gran Turismo 4. In my view, and speaking as a racing game fan, the X1 is primarily a WipEout ship... only without weapons and with four tires. To give you perspective, the lap record around Suzuka (as of the date of this blog post) is 1:31.540 set by Kimi Raikkonen (I was unable to use the proper spelling of Raikkonen) in 2005. The X1 would lap Suzuka in the 1:05.000 range. Therefore, the X1 could lap a course by at least 20 to 25 seconds faster than any average F1 car. Also... can any of the camera workers actually keep up with these cars? Can the fans in the stands follow these cars as they blast by?

Because the X1 has headlights, could you possibly incorporate some more night races? Could it even take on Le Mans (good luck trying to squeeze in drivers!)?






Can you really imagine if this was the new F1 car? Can you imagine if this was the car (or at least a template) for what teams tried to create and race in F1? Do you think F1 would even survive with this car? Comment away, F1 fans!

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Super GT (Formerly the JGTC)

My Post About Japan's Premier Motorsports Series.

(LAST UPDATED: November 8, 2011) - multiple edits, including adding more content

Japan's premier racing series is Super GT. It is a great combination of intense and dramatic racing with the appeal and charm of traditional sportscar racing. The cars that compete in this series are all silhouette racing machines purpose built for racing. The premier class is GT500, featuring cars packing no more than 500 horsepower. The lower class is GT300, featuring cars packing no more than 300 horsepower. To keep the competition close, success ballast is added to dominating cars to make them heavier. What gives this series its appeal is the intense and dramatic racing, not to mention Japan's beautiful Race Queens. They race on Japan's toughest racing facilities as well as have a round or two outside of Japan. This blog post is about perhaps the finest racing series in the Asia-Pacific except the Australian V8 Supercar Series and besides Formula Nippon- Super GT.

PLEASE NOTE: This blog post is about Super GT as in the racing series formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC).

--- A Look at Super GT ---

The series now known as Super GT was born the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1993. The first championship year was a year later and with two classes of racing- GT1 and GT2. The current alignment of GT500 and GT300 was born in 1996. The final year of JGTC in the 2004 season. Since 2005, Super GT has taken over.

Through its time, the Super GT Championship has been heralded for its intense racing and its drama. Each race (which some Japanese like to call as "hot-go races") is sort of a sprint race and an endurance race in one. Two-driver teams compete with the intent of taking home the victory for the race weekend. The series usually runs anywhere between 7 to 10 races a season. To ensure a level playing field, penalty weight is added to cars based on winning performances. Weight is added to your car for the next race if you do very well in the current race. This can play some serious games with your car and its driving character. Like in any sportscar race, driver changes need to be made through the race. The wild popularity of Super GT includes more than just racing. In fact, the series is famous for the Race Queens (or "Lace Queens" as some Japanese pronounce). As you might imagine, some of the Race Queens can be even more popular than the racing action!

So there is something for everyone to enjoy in Super GT.

Cars and Racing.

Many people were introduced to the realm of Super GT through the Gran Turismo series. There has been at least one Super GT car in every major GT title since GT's inception. If you want to go on Gran Turismo, then Super GT cars are told to be very fast and capable. I still somewhat found that hard to believe considering series like the FIA GT1 World Championship.


This video below is your preview of what Super GT is all about with Round 1 of the 2010 season at Suzuka (hope you understand Japanese! :D):


Cool, huh? ;)

Tracks.

The championship is contested all across Japan with the exception of Malaysia's Sepang Circuit. Japan has some challenging courses. Classic courses like Suzuka and Fuji are raced by Super GT. Other tracks include Okayama (formerly T.I. Circuit Aida), Sugo, Autopolis, and Motegi on the 2010 calendar. Past tracks include venues like Tokaichi, Mine, Nakayama, and Sendai Hi-Land among others.

In 2004, a one-off All-Star race at California Superspeedway (nowadays known as Auto Club Speedway) in Fontana, California, USA in an event called GT Live! It featured all the cars and stars of Super GT racing under the lights at California Superspeedway. The winning teams were as follows:

• The winners of the JGTC All-Star 200 was the G'Zox NSX (driven by the tandem of T. Kaneishi and E. Comas) in GT500. The GT300 winner was the M-Tec NSX (driven by the tandem of T. Yamano, H. Yagi, and H. Kurosawa), which finished 6th overall.

• The winners of the JGTC All-Star Sprint Race was the PIAA NSX GT500 team, driven by the tandem of T. Matsuda and Andre Lotterer. The GT300 winners was the ARTA Garaiya (driven by the tandem of M. Nitta and S. Takagi), and they finished 6th overall.

Past and Present Super GT/JGTC Racers.

I can not recall a whole lot of Super GT racers right away. I will name a few of them just to give you an idea as to who races in this series and who used to race in this series:

• Ukyo Katayama
• Keiichi Tsuchiya (yes, the drift god himself)
• Juichi Wakisaka
• Benoit Treluyer
• Michael Krumm
• Ralf Schumacher
• Go Mifune
• Kunehiro Amemiya (or "Amemiya-San")
• Andre Loetterer
• Pedro de la Rosa
• Érik Comas
• Satoru Nakajima

Please note- I named as many drivers off the top of my head as far as racers in this series (past and present) are concerned. The majority of champions in this series are Japanese. Among the various champions in all classes of competition...

• ...only one champion was Australian (David Brabham, 1996 - GT500).
• ...only one champion was Danish (John Nielsen, 1996 - GT500).
• ...only one champion was Spanish (Pedro de la Rosa, 1997 - GT500).
• ...only one champion was British (Richard Lyons, 2004 - GT500).
• ...only one champion was Irish (Ralph Firman, 2007 - GT500).

The only other one-time or multiple-time, non-Japanese champions include: Érik Comas (France), Michael Krumm (Germany), André Lotterer (Germany), Benoît Tréluyer (France), and Loïc Duval (France).

Past and Present Super GT/JGTC Cars and Teams.

This is another top-of-my-head list of teams past and present. These are either teams or teams plus the car being raced. The majority of

--- Toyota/Tom's ---

^ from: forum-auto.com - the Castrol Supra may be the most popular JGTC/Super GT car ever, especially for you Gran Turismo types. The Castrol Supra was the first to take down the dominating Skylines in the (then) JGTC for the championship in 1997.

Supras have long been the car of choice for Toyota in this series. Now, their car is the Lexus SC430 (which I believe is the Toyota Soarer in Japan).

• Castrol Tom's Supra
• Denso SARD Supra
• Esso Ultraflow Supra
• WoodOne Tom's Supra
• Toyota Corolla Axio
• Petronas Lexus SC430
• Autobacs MR-S
• Kraft Trueno
• Wedssport Celica


--- Nissan/NISMO ---

^ from: gtplanet.net, by way of www58.tok2.com - Skylines/GT-R's have long been the weapon of choice for Nissan/NISMO teams in Super GT. The Pennzoil GT-R team won the 1999 (then) JGTC championship in the GT500 class.

Nissan keeps plugging away with their Skylines/GT-R's. They did change from the GT-R to the 350Z as the latest GT-R was still in the works. Their latest GT500 weapon is the R35 GT-R.

• Motul/Pitwork Z
• Calsonic GT-R
• Xanavi GT-R
• Xanavi Silvia
• Pennzoil Zexel GT-R
• Loctite Zexel GT-R
• Kure GT-R


--- Honda/Mugen-Dome ---

^ from: www.raybrig.gr.jp (best I could find) - Before being replaced by the HSV-010, the NSX was long Honda/MUGEN/Dome's car for Super GT battle.

The NSX was showing its age, and it has lasted for some time in Super GT. A newer model of the NSX race car was unveiled starting in 2003. The performance advantage was so great that the NSX'es had to have these snorkel air restrictors on them. It took away from the beauty of the 2003-ish NSX'es, but they were still plenty capable. The HSV-010 is Honda's latest and current weapon in the Super GT races.

• Raybrig NSX
• Mobil 1 Nakajima NSX
• Castrol Mugen NSX


--- Other Makes (no specific order) ---
Various other makes comprise the many cars that have raced in Super GT. Besides the major three makes in GT500, there are other car companies represented, including cars from the aforementioned makes above. Every car company from other Japanese makes to American and European makes have competed in GT500 and/or GT300. Even the almighty McLaren F1 has raced in Super GT.


^ from: mitsuru-1029.cocolog-nifty.com - If you can believe it, a Porsche 962C even raced in this series!


^ from: bimmer.jp - Team Lark won the GT500 championship in 1996. The championship-winning drivers of this team were David Braham and John Nielsen.

• Taisan Starcard Porsche 962C
• Lark McLaren
• Yellow Corn McLaren
• Dentaire Projet Racing Ferrari 360 Modena
• RE Amemiya ASPARADRINK RX-7
• STP Taisan Dodge Viper GTS-R
• ARTA ASL Garaiya
• Vemac 350R
• Mooncraft Shiden
• NOMAD Lamborghini Diabo GT1
• CUSCO Subaru Impreza
• Taeivon Trampio Mitsubishi FTO (one of few front-wheel drive cars to EVER race in this series. Maybe even the ONLY FWD car ever to race in this series)


So you can say this series has had an entire mess of cars race in this series. Here's something interesting I read on Wikipedia about the GT500 cars. There was an FIA GT1-spec Maserati MC12 that tested against GT500 cars. The GT500 cars were faster than the Maserati MC12. Part of the reason why Super GT's GT500 cars are faster than FIA GT1-spec cars is because of the aerodynamic regulations in Super GT.

--- How I Discovered Super GT ---

Two words- Gran Turismo. It began with Gran Turismo games, then continued with an edition of Road and Track magazine which highlighted a little more on Super GT. Of course, when I got into the series, it was known as the JGTC. JGTC stands for the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship. Those were the good old times when the GT500 competition was the Toyota/Tom's Supra, Nissan/NISMO R34 Skyline, and the Mugen/Dome NSX. Rounds of Super GT (then as JGTC) were aired on Speed Channel in 2002 and 2003 as part of a television package called "On the Limit." Then when GT Live! raced at California Superspeedway (now Auto Club Speedway) for the Super GT All-Star Race in 2004, Speed Channel had a one-hour show featuring the Super GT All-Star Race as well as some drifting. G4TV featured an episode of "Street Fury" that had some more highlights of the Super GT All-Star Race that year. Of course, this was before "Street Fury" had that watered-down series of episodes a few years later.


Now that I've gotten your attention, I want to share a little more with you!

--- What If: Super GT... Interregional and International Racing? ---

It will likely never happen that Super GT will shy away from its native Japanese audience. However, what if the series did some regional or international racing stops? Here are some dream non-Japanese schedules:

Dream Venues: Interregional.

This would be a lineup of races outside of Japan, but within its region, the Asia-Pacific. I have included some American venues in case the series would ever want to visit the United States again. So here is a list of races I think would make for great interregional racing in Super GT:

• Korean International Circuit - it would be a great track to host this level of racing.
• Shanghai - I don't think this series has EVER raced in China. But if it did, this wouldn't be a bad stop.
• Zhuhai - not as glamourous as the Shanghai circuit, but still a tough one.
• Buddh International Circuit - if the series wanted to go further inward in Asia, the new Indian F1 course wouldn't make a bad place to visit.
• Dubai Autodrome - before the fancy Yas Marina Circuit, the UAE has this tough track.
• Yas Marina Circuit - the very glamourous and interesting UAE track in Abu Dhabi.
• Sentul Circuit - Indonesia's only major racing facility.
• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - one of America's most formidable race tracks.
• Portland International Raceway - the challenging carbon neutral race course in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
• Eastern Creek Raceway - the only track in Australia that I think would be the best to host Super GT. The longshot would be if Albert Park was made to host Super GT in addition to other events.

Dream Venues: International.

Yeah, that's right- international tour! What if Super GT competed around the world? This would be a dream schedule I have for a world tour. This is not so much:

• (all venues from the previous section)
• Silverstone (with Arena section) - the home of motor racing for decades in Great Britain would be a great Super GT venue.
• Eurospeedway Lausitz (road course) - Europe's only proper speedway features one of the most intense infield road courses.
• Circuit Paul Ricard - both a race track and a work of art, this French course is very unique.
• Catalunya - Spain's formidable racing facility since its opening in 1991.
• Nürburgring (Grand Prix course) - Germany's premier race track would nicely suit Super GT [on the Grand Prix course and not the super-long 24-hour course].
• Mantorp Park - this Swedish race track boasts a competitive road course along with a very fast backstretch.
• Monza - the long-time high-speed playground some distance away from beautiful Milan.
• Istanbul Park - this Turkish race track has a great overall rhythm to it.
• Kyalami - this track in South Africa would be a great challenge for Super GT cars to contest racing on.
• Virginia International Raceway - the restored classic road course in southern Virginia, USA makes for a very tough racing challenge.
• New Jersey Motorsports Park - this track in southern New Jersey and mostly serving the Philadelphia area is a huge racing challenge.
• Barber Motorsports Park - a road racing gem in the American Southeast makes for some great action in Alabama.
• Road America - this track in Wisconsin boasts a four+ mile configuration that would be a great challenge for Super GT.
• Mid-Ohio - always a tough order to race this technical course in central Ohio.
• Circuit of the Americas - the new track in the Austin, TX, USA area will play host to Formula 1, MotoGP, and even the Australian V8 Supercar Series. Now imagine if Super GT wanted to try this track out too.
• Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez - former home of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix, this track still remains a big time challenge. A good blend of high speed
• Interlagos - perhaps the finest racing facility not only in Brazil, but in all of South America.


It would be great seeing these cars expand their boundaries a bit more like the DTM does. The DTM is German, but they've raced across Europe.

--- Race Queens of Super GT ---

^ from: speedhunters.com - Super GT's Race Queens can be more popular than any of the racing!

Essentially the walking and living billboards of racing, Super GT is best known for their Race Queens apart from the dramatic and competitive racing. Their outfits vary by team and by style. Many Race Queens wear these belly-baring tops and mini skirts along with either pumps, sandals, or boots (usually platforms). Some wear hot pants as part of their outfit. Some outfits are mini dresses. You may also see things like one-piece swimsuits or flared leg warmers as part of their outfits. Regardless, the goals of Race Queens are to promote the team she represents and promote the company/companies they represent. They are eye-catching beauties Most Race Queens take on other roles outside of being Race Queens. Some, for example, get into modeling and acting among other things.

No one collection of people help promote and expose Super GT quite like the Race Queens of Super GT. Japan has many beautiful women, and none more beautiful than a Race Queen.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED: If you want a deeper blog post regarding Race Queens (and other Grid Girls), visit my blog post called "Grid Girls" here on John's Blog Space!





The 2010 season has concluded back last month. Congratulations to the 2010 champions:


--- 2010 Super GT GT500 Champions ---
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONS: Takashi Kogure and Loic Duval (#18 weider Honda Racing - Honda weider HSV-010)
TEAM CHAMPIONS: #18 Weider Honda Racing

--- 2010 Super GT GT300 Champions ---
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONS: Kazuki Hoshino and Masataka Yanagida (#3 Hasemi Motor Sport - Nissan Tomica Z)
TEAM CHAMPIONS: #3 Hasemi Motor Sport


This blog post, for the most part, is over. Time for links! Learn more about Super GT by checking out these links:

• Super GT Official (Japanese)
• Super GT Official (English)
• Super GT on Facebook

That's all for Super GT. Not too many ways online to connect to them. I don't think they are too social. You can get social with ME, however! :) And here are a few ways to do so:

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
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The Other Hawaii

Before I begin, let me say that I am not comfortable discussing matters of government or any sort of radical movements or whatever. I am not comfortable discussing these things because it is too easy to rile up someone or get some kind of reaction that ends up angering people. So I have therefore avoided doing mentions of the past. But after watching a two-part YouTube video, I will try to do a rare blog post regarding political or social matters. This is not a personal commentary piece. It is instead a digest based on what I've read online and in a two-part YouTube video series. These have helped me to better understand Hawaii and its history. I am not going to make any serious opinions in this blog post. PLEASE correct me on anything I've messed up on (because I WILL mess something up here), and do so in a respectful manner, please.

This blog post was made somewhat per the request of someone who sent me some YouTube videos showing a deeper side of Hawaii apart from the tourism and happy times. These two videos were purely powerful. If you are someone who feels that I am not giving enough quality material regarding Hawaii, I'm sorry. I don't post anything truthfully unless I truly know something (or come very close). Most of my material comes from YouTube and Wikipedia.

Before you read further into this, here are two 11-minute videos describing what this deal in general. "The Other Hawaii" was shown in two parts. These videos were posted on YouTube on September 26, 2008. Both are rather long (both 11 minutes long), so if you don't want to see these videos, you don't have to. They are just there to give you insight as to what this blog post is about.

Part 1 of "The Other Hawaii" can be seen here (11:47.000 long):


Part 2 of "The Other Hawaii" can be seen here (11:00.000 long):


Now let me post on this deal.

--- The Issues at Hand ---

Let me try to discuss this as best as I can. Before Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States, it was known as the Kingdom of Hawaii. Two videos from Al Jazeera English's YouTube channel have gotten me to understand a side of Hawaii that is much different from the tropical paradise and tourism giant Hawaii can be. A deeper look at Hawaii, however, notes what all Hawaii has endured in its long history. Issues such as poverty, homelessness, and various health care problems. A once proud kingdom was taken over by the United States starting in 1893. Even before then, there was the so-called "Bayonet Constitution" which was the document turning over Hawaii of its monarchy government in favor of control under American, European and native Hawaiians. The Bayonet aspect was called such because the Hawaiian King (King Kal?kaua) was forced to sign it with armed militia to avoid being deposed.

The key issue here is on (from the two videos you might have seen earlier in this post) Hawaiian self-determination. These are about people who want to maintain their indigenous character rather and not have their native culture and customs purely taken away. It's about many Hawaiians feeling like most of their land and customs have been taken away without consent or consolidation.

--- Hawaii: State or Country? ---

Considering that Hawaii used to be the Kingdom of Hawaii, I became curious as to if Hawaii is truly a state or a country. Some native Hawaiians feel that their native way of life and culture have been taken apart since the United States took control of Hawaii in 1893. Hawaii has its own state song, called Hawai'i Pono'i ("Hawaii's Own"). It used to be the national anthem for Hawaii back during the Kingdom of Hawaii days.

If you want to hear "Hawaii's Own," here is one version I found on YouTube:


From the 2010 Miss South Pacific Pageant in Papua New Guinea, there was a representative for Hawaii. The beautiful Pomaikai Klein (or Pomaika'i Klein) was Miss Hawaii/Hawai'i in this competition. Not "Miss American Hawaii," but Miss Hawaii.

The Quest for Hawaiian Self-Determination.

The year 1993 (Bill Clinton was U.S. President) marked 100 years since America's overthrow of Hawaii. The many acres of land (1.8 million acres) wanted by Hawaiians. What generated controversy in all of this is that the United States admittedly seized Hawaiian land without consent or compensation. Some Hawaiians feel their native culture and way of life have been taken away. When you have Hawaiians saying "I am not an American" as was said in 1993, you know something is up among some Hawaiians. A number of Hawaiians are either for becoming its own sovereign state of indigenous people, and others are not in favor of Hawaiian sovereignty. Those who seek Hawaiian independence or sovereignty feel that through the United States, some Hawaiians aren't getting much in terms of money, land, compensation, or anything like that.

A lot of Hawaiian people feel new energy in reclaiming their culture and way of life and trying to retain their identity and indigenous ways. Some Hawaiians really dislike the United States today even since the invasion of Hawaii long ago. A group called Sudden Rush expressed Hawaiian sovereignty. They are a powerful music group delivering messages of sovereignty through adult contemporary music.

--- What If: Hawaii Reinstatement of the Kingdom of Hawaii? ---

I honestly don't know what it would be like for Hawaii to return as a Kingdom. I do wonder what it would be like if the compensation and such was granted to Hawaii. Could it mean that you have to have a visa or a passport or something to visit Hawaii? How could Hawaii sustain itself as a reinstated kingdom? I honestly don't know what to think about this.

Some believe that if Hawaii returned to kingdom status, the possible heir to the throne could be musician Owana Salazar (featured in my "Music of the South Pacific" blog post), who is related to the royal family of Hawaii. So she would be Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii if Hawaii returned to being the Kingdom of Hawaii.





All you have read and seen here is a different Hawaii. What many of us consider a travel destination has its own dark history. Apart from being a travel destination lies a deeper and more hate-filled part of Hawaii among most who dislike the rule of Hawaii. As I read in a graphic, some Hawaiians feel they are "Hawaiian by blood, but American by force." Again- I am providing all of this for exposure and education. I am a native of Texas. I cannot, therefore, say that I have heartfelt feelings about Hawaiians seeking sovereignty. A lot of Hawaiians are somewhat divided on this. Some want independence and their culture back, and some others just don't know what to think about this whole thing even years since the overthrow of Hawaii back in the 19th Century.

As I said earlier, I don't know enough about this issue or want to discuss any further into this to where I start a firestorm. What I've been able to learn from all of this is that there are some Hawaiians who feel like Hawaii was taken over and taken away by other nations. What has sparked any recent wanting for Hawaii to seek self-determination and soverignity is beyond me. Topics relating to government are too strong for me. That's why I avoid them, because it's too easy to say the wrong thing and get people in an uproar. The last thing I want to do is offend any of my readers or visitors by posting something inaccurate or anything to incite a firestorm. I don't want to lose my fan base. All I have done here was express certain issues in a digest manner. I have not expressed any opinions because I just don't know what to think.



So where do you stand on Hawaii wanting sovereignty? Should Hawaii have country-within-a-country status? What do you make of this? Here are a few websites to tell this story from multiple sides. Each of these links are provided on an educational basis:

* Hawai'i Independent and Sovereign
* Legal Foundation for Hawaiian Independence (various legal archives)
* Statehood: A Second Glance
* Hawaiian Kingdom Independence Blog
* Hawaiianindependence.com
* Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance
* Hawaiian Sovereignity on about.com
* Free Hawai'i (a Blogspot blog)
* Hawaiian Sovereignity: Which Path Should Be Taken? (an essay)
* a timeline of Hawaiian Independence on Google



Special consideration for this blog post goes out to a friend of mine online from Hawaii named Ann (whom I've mentioned in my "Music of the South Pacific" blog post. I told her that I don't do topics regarding government or deep social matters, but I did attempt to discuss this in a professional and non-threatening or non-biased way because the two videos from earlier in this post were so powerful. She suggested that I blog about this just to expose the whole issue of Hawaiian sovereignty and independence. And so, I really thank my friend Ann for influencing me to post this.





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