Sports Car GT

(UPDATED: January 8, 2012)

Before rFactor, "Sports Car GT" was the ultimate racing experience for gamers. This game was released in 1999 and captured the unrelenting fury of GT racing. Sports Car GT was the game that delivered the ultimate experience. I can say that I've played both the PC version and the PlayStation 1 version. I am willing to give you my own thoughts about both games (I initially wanted this to just be about the PC version). So please feel free to have a good read!

Here is how the box art looks:


^ from: g2shop.com - Sports Car GT box (PC box)

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--- "Sports Car GT" at a Glance ---

Sports Car GT was a game released by Electronic Arts and made by Image Space Incorporated. The PlayStation 1 version allowed you to race a variety of GT race cars. You competed on a number of different race tracks as well as race a number of real-world race cars from many manufacturers. The PC version added an extra element of patching to include more cars and tracks. What made Sports Car GT so fun (especially the PC version) was that this game delivered a solid racing experience for no matter what cars or tracks were in the game. Mod makers had some extra fun by making more cars and tracks available for this hot game.

The cars comprised lots of cars from European makes as well as a few American cars. Tracks are a mix of fictional circuits and real circuits. Real tracks like Laguna Seca, Hockenheim, and two major sportscar racing tracks are included- Road Atlanta and Sebring. At least in the PC version, you have a preference as to whether to run laps, time, or laps and time. It was possible to have your own long-distance races. The real meat of the game is with the Season Mode. Make sure to buy a car to tune up and work on. As you progress, you can purchase faster cars or upgrade your current car. There are also damage options as well as tire wear and fuel degradation options.

Cars of Sports Car GT.

--- GTQ ---
Porsche 911 GTQ, Panoz Esperante, BMW M3

--- GT3 ---
BMW M3, Saleen Mustang

--- GT2 ---
Vector M12, Porsche 911 GT2, Saleen Mustang,

--- GT1 ---
Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, McLaren F1 GTR, Lister Storm, Callaway C12, Mosler Raptor, Panoz Esperante GTR-1, Panoz Q9

Tracks of Sports Car GT.

Here is a look at all of the tracks:

• Chatham (fantasy course) - A short fantasy course that is rather short with a few really challenging corners. Really fast cars can clear this course in less than 40 seconds.

• Sardian Park (fantasy course) - a fantasy course with a few undulating corners and intense racing.

• Lime Rock Park - A 1.5+ mile course in Connecticut which feels more like a park than a proper racing circuit.

• North Point (fantasy course) - ???

• Desert Speedway (fantasy course, but based on a real course) - A road course configuration on an oval. Though its name isn't used, it's the road course around Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• Laguna Seca - America's most heralded and most difficult race course, contend with various intense corners, including the judgmental Laguna Seca Corkscrew.

• Donnington Park - A tricky British road course. It has short and long variations. The hairpin on Donnington Park's long course is VERY slow.

• Hockenheim - Before Herman Tilke screwed up today's Hockenheim, there was this course. Enjoy high speeds and intense racing through the course shaped like knife.

• Sebring - This track has long been an intense racing challenge. Best known for the 12 Hours of Sebring, this track in central Florida is over three miles of racing insanity.

• Road Atlanta - an intense racing challenge awaits you on this competitive course miles north of Atlanta

• Mosport - This is a fast and undulating race track around Toronto.

• Eiffel Tour (PS1 only) - ???


This game holds a special place in my heart. Why so? Read the next section!

--- Why Sports Car GT Holds a Special Place in my Heart ---

A big reason why I care about this game is that it has shown me a time of sportscar racing which I loved to have seen had I got into racing earlier and had a chance to see these cars on TV more back then. There is no debate- I love almost all of the cars and races in this game. It was a forgotten era for me.

If you liked this section, I will have you know that I'm working on a special blog entry encapsulating more of what I've missed so much about the mid-late 1990s in sportscar racing. Stay tuned to John's Blog Space for that blog entry!

--- Sports Car GT (PlayStation 1 Version) ---

This was a game I was eagerly awaiting to play. I didn't think I'd have the PC requirements then, so I went with the PlayStation 1 version. I was actually disappointed with this version. I did love the little lens flare effects and such. The racing seemed pretty okay. But really, I wasn't very pleased with this version. I had even sold this game as I just wasn't very impressed with it. I couldn't stay with it long enough to really enjoy this game to its entirety.

But... that's just me. Despite my disappointment, the game features some tough tracks and some great cars. This game, however, just didn't excite me as I had initially hoped.




If you want to get this game, click on the graphic below for more information and to order your copy of this game:

--- Sports Car GT (PC Version) ---

I was most impressed and excited to play the PC version of this game. The PC version of "Sports Car GT" features a wide variety of cars and tracks. You begin with the GTQ cars and work your way up to GT1. Laps and time can be adjusted. This game has no Traction Control, ABS, or anything like that. This is sportscar racing at its most unforgiving. Cars come from American, British, and German makes in this game. You are able to upgrade your cars and even purchase faster cars in higher classes. Those are also the nationalities of tracks in this game, including the Mosport track in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. Tracks can be raced in dry conditions and in wet conditions. Races can happen in the daytime or at night. There are no time cycles for this game unlike its successor, rFactor.

The real joy of this game, however, is in making mods for SCGT. This game is now ten years and change old. Most of the mods for this game are almost nonexistant now. Lots of tracks and cars can be downloaded for SCGT to make the experience even more exciting. The extra cars even include F1 racing, sportscar racing with prototypes, rally cars, stock cars... even motorcycle and snowmobile mods. Modders have even made drag racing courses and off-road races with this game. Simply put, the modding community for Sports Car GT basically made rFactor become the hit that it has become among modders. I've personally downloaded a handful of tracks and cars to use in Sports Car GT. I even took some blank cars people made and dress them up into my own custom-designed cars. These were just fun times. Even for a game that's now ten years and some months old, it's still an epic classic. Perhaps one of the greatest racing games of the 1990s.

To help you decide whether to get this game or not, here is a YouTube video featuring factual and true gameplay footage:



Love what you see? Here are two options for you...


1.) Download the demo to this game here: "Sports Car GT" PC Demo

2.) Buy this game from Amazon:


(works for Win 95, Win 98, and Win ME. I've TRIED to get this to work in XP, but to not much success.)


The best available SCGT resource online these days is on racecarsim.com. So if you want some SCGT resources, please visit this site: RaceCarSim.com. It is great that someone decided to keep SCGT alive rather than let it die off into obscurity.





Tough to believe this game is more than 10 years old. Had it not been for the support of modders for SCGT, rFactor wouldn't have been so great. Sports Car GT was really the game that would set the ground work for rFactor. There is no denying it- Sports Car GT is a must-have racing game.

Thank you so much for reading!

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Men's Ankle Boots

NOTE: This blog post is in the process of being made over. What you see here may all change in the future.

There was a time at a shoe store that I was interested in getting a pair of boots. I have a pair of Drexlite ankle boots that are pretty comfortable to wear. These are a pair of stylish boots for me to wear. Ankle boots can be quite sexy for ladies, but what about us guys? I'll try and share some men's ankle boots with you all in this blog entry. I don't make too many men's fashion blog entries because I'm so focused on feminine fashion.

--- Men's Ankle Boots at a Glance ---

Ankle boots for men rang from rugged boots to more stylish boots. The Drexlite boots I have are more of stylish boots. I wear my boots casually with my jeans. A few times, though, I've worn them with some semi-formal and formal outfits. They are much better to my feet and ankles than the dress shoes I have. Here are some ankle boots to set the mood...



^ from: fancydressheaven.co.uk - The boots you see above are sleek and stylish. They could be worn casually with your favorite shirt and some jeans. They can also be worn with some dressy pants for work and formal-type fashions. Boots like these are for those who want to express some stylish charm while not wanting to go with sneakers or any proper dress shoes.


^ from: scorpioshoes.com - From stylish ankle boots to rugged ankle boots, these are ankle boots from Dr. Martens. The stored British shoe maker provides these men's ankle boots.


^ from: loveandchic.com, by way of stylehive.com - Gucci makes these rugged ankle boots. A good pair of baggy or loose jeans will provide some tough style. It is also possible to go with some long shorts with these boots.

http://www.shoes.com/productimages/shoes_iaec1208253.jpg
^ from: shoes.com - Here are some rugged men's ankle boots for work from Dr. Martens. Even if you don't work, these are a good pair of boots to pair with some jeans.

--- Males Wearing FEMININE Ankle Boots? ---

(This section was added on 5/9/2010) Some males feel that while men's ankle boots are nice, there's nothing like wearing sexy ankle boots, booties, and shooties made for women. This blog entry concerns ankle boots for men, but some males dare wear feminine shoes to have some feminine chic while still retaining male character. It's a best-of-both-worlds approach.

You can read more about this and other topics on males wearing feminine fashions by reading my blog entry called "Males Wearing Feminine Fashions." If you want to read a blog that is devoted to high heels and features one male wearing feminine high heels, please check out my Blogspot friend over at Hottest Heels - Heels Are Hot! Anything Else Is Not!. Click on the "Pics Of Me Wearing My Heels" label to see him wearing some sexy high-heel shoes. You can also click on the blog label "Videos Of Me Walking In My Heels" to see videos of him wearing these sexy high-heel shoes.

--- A Personal Note to my Male Readers ---

(added: January 11, 2011)
I honestly never thought my blog post on men's ankle boots would get such traffic since I launched this blog post. I am here to let all of you males out there know that I greatly appreciate your support. I hope I've been able to impress you in discussing men's ankle boots.





That concludes this blog entry! For more men's ankle boots, please check these out:




The Amazon material is NOT gone- the previously posted can now be found (and with updated content) on John's Shop Space. To visit my corresponding blog on John's Shop Space, please click on the link below to get started!



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65, 68, or 96?

The NCAA tournament has had expansion rumors for the Division 1 men's basketball tournament for some time. The current model supports 65 of the best teams to play for a National Championship. There were other proposals for a 68-team tournament and even a massive 96-team tournament. Well according to the Associated Press, the NCAA tournament is inching towards a... 96-team tournament! An ESPN SportsNation poll had as many as 78% of sports fans vocally disapproving of a 96-team playoff. I'm here to blog about my own ideas about what should be the best playoff model.

UPDATES
4/22/2010: The NCAA is pushing towards taking the field of 65 to a field of 68. If the NCAA does this, I'll be very happy because it gives just three more deserving teams a chance to play for a National Championship. That would mean four play-in games and would not be a hot mess of tournament mayhem.

RECENT UPDATE: The NCAA has recently approved a 68-team playoff. However, some think the change to 96 is still very possible.

--- Why Do We Have the Tournament As it Is? ---

It's not easy picking 65 teams. Every conference champion from all 31 or so conferences automatically get in while the remainder have to be at-large picks. As is the case, there are a number of teams who get snubbed. For example, "how can (insert overrated team here) get in over (insert very good team here) when (very good team) lost to (cupcake team)?" The process is difficult. The NCAA tourney committee has their own thoughts on who should and shouldn't be in the tournament. You can only do so much to make your claim to play for a National Championship.

So with all of this said, you have a series of teams that make it, and those that don't. You have your Last Four In, and Last Four Out teams. Some teams are very good, but not good enough to make the NCAA tournament. Let's examine the playoff models with my own commentary.

--- The 65-Team Model ---

These are my thoughts concerning certain playoff models.

The 65-Team Model.
Don't fix what isn't broken. The 65-team model means that 63 teams are already locked... except for two. I like the 65-team model because that Play-In Game basically sets the mood for who should play to enter the tournament. These are usually two not-very-good teams that may likely get creamed by the #1 seed easily. At least this 65-team model gets you ready for the NCAA tournament. It sets the mood for when the real tournament games begin.

The 68-Team Model.
Personally, I'd be happy with a 68-team model. What this model calls for is for all four #16 seed slots to have two teams willing to play their way into March Madness. This would give only three more deserving teams a chance to play for a National Championship. It offers a competitive balance unlike any other. If you want to talk about Last Four In and Last Four Out, why not have some of those teams (especially the Last Four Out or really good mid-major and low-major teams) play their way into the Big Dance? A 68-team model would be VERY understandable.

The 96-Team Model.
Okay. Let's do a little math here. There are 65 teams in the current NCAA Tournament model. The 65 teams will be shortened to 64 once the NCAA tournament gets started proper. How many teams play in the NIT tournament model? Right- 32. Add 64 to 32, and you get 96. The only way I can think of the NCAA Tournament going from 65 to 96 is if the NIT gets phased out. Because very few people care about the NIT Tournament (since it isn't for the major championship), that is my idea that the NCAA Tournament wants to go to 96 because since people don't watch the NIT, why not make it so that the NIT teams have as much of a chance to win a National Championship as the NCAA tournament teams?

Now in practice, this is a great idea because it means that more teams have a chance to win a National Championship. However, you mean to tell me that there are, I don't know... 32 more teams deserving of a National Championship? I'm sorry- 60+ schools have an amazing chance to win a National Championship. They are all (or most of them) are very talented and are well equipped and appointed to win a National Championship, should the opportunity presents itself. Think about this for a moment- teams like Virginia Tech and North Carolina (despite UNC's laughable 2010 season) made it to the NIT. Their seasons could have been over and done, but the NIT gives them some hope. The NIT helps in recruiting. It helps strong programs become stronger for next season. There are (let's guess) 330 or so NCAA basketball teams. It means that about 25% or less of teams can play for a National Championship. You up that to about 40 or 35 percent of teams can realistically play for a National Championship. Some of those 32 NIT teams (I'm sorry) just weren't good enough to play for a National Championship in the NCAA Tournament. Don't give liabilities a National Championship hope- let the real champions come through to play for all the marbles.

Or think about it like this- why are there Bowl Games and BCS Bowl Games? Only ten of the best teams play in major Bowl games with a chance to play in major games, and only two can be among the chosen few to play for a National Championship. Every other team not good enough play in any of the non-BCS Bowl Games. I can understand 96 teams, but don't underrate the NIT. There are really 65 teams great enough for a National Championship, not 96, though I do appreciate the love and respect for other teams.

--- Thoughts on a 96-Team Playoff ---

What the bloody hell are you thinking, NCAA? Going with a 96 team playoff is absolutely ludicrous. The very best teams (and sometimes the most fortunate teams) are those who are the immortal ones among mortals. You can't have 32 very good teams to go along with the 65 that have already proven themselves this season. Championships and playoffs celebrate some of the best a sport has to offer. Think pro sports for a moment. Only so few can play for a major championship because they earned it. Granted the field is smaller for most pro sports, at least there are those teams worthy enough to play for the championship. You can't have several more championship-worthy teams when there are a number of teams that could all realistically win a championship. This is a bad idea. How do you even set up the TV deals to cover everything? You may have to start the season earlier or get rid of some of the exhibitional tournaments (such as the Maui Invitational, Great Alaska Shootout, Cable Car Classic, etc.) to make enough room to make the season be complete before the NBA playoffs begin.

You want to expand the tournament? Go with 68 teams. Give three more deserving teams a chance because there just aren't 96 teams that could realistically win a National Championship. You can't have 32 more teams that should have gotten in. Some of the higher-ranked NIT teams include some of the "BCS" conference schools. Then look at the mid-majors that were very good, but not good enough to be among the power teams.





I can't understand the NCAA going to 96 teams. A field of 65 is good, but 68 would be better. NOT 96. But, that's my idea. Feel free to offer your comments on this deal.