INDY 500 Sports / Driving / Arcade 1 to 8 Player Game (Depending on the amount of networked modules) The best transmission type to choose, if you can handle it, is the manual transmission. The manual transmission gives you better control over the torque and acceleration of your car, and a higher top speed. Anytime you have to turn, you want to do it with the least loss of speed. The best method to use is the counter steer method. Turn sharply in the direction of the curve, then quickly turn the wheel in the opposite direction. Do this repeatedly through the entire turn. This will help keep the rear tires from losing traction, which would send you into a skid. If you do it correctly, your car’s tires won’t smoke and you’ll keep most of your speed through the turn. It’s a hard skill to master, but well worth learning. Drafting techniques play a huge role in this game. You must learn how to draft if you ever want to place higher that 10th in the game. Use these techniques every opportunity you get. The best location for a draft is on a long straight section of the track. A high speed banked turn is also a nice location to try a draft turn. When you draft, you’re basically trying to get your car in the dead air space just behind the car ahead of you. Doing this allows your car to go slightly faster, because there’s less wind resistance to your car. The lead car acts like a wind blocker to push the air out of the way for you. Zip up behind the lead car until you get a chance to pass, then give your car the gas and gun it by him. Indy 500 has realistic elements that add to the coolness of the game. You have to take many factors into account during the race: when and where to draft, how damage to the car effects its racing ability, and your good old friend inertia during a turn. In most other games, downshifting is sufficient to stop and or slow your car immediately. This is definitely not the case in Indy 500. I definitely suggest you learn the location of the brake peddle; you’ll actually need to use it in this game. Compression braking does work, but just as in real life, it only effects your rear tires. This will usually leave the front tires spinning and lock up the rear rubber, sending you smoking toward a wall or barrier. You need to use the brake to effectively slow down the car and keep control at all times. However, since you can’t blow the engine in Indy 500, use this to your advantage. Before a turn, downshift to a low or midrange gear, depending on the turn, and red line the engine throughout the turn. Doing so will allow you to maintain a good rate of speed throughout the turn, keep the engine near the top of the power band, and allow you to upshift as soon as it is possible to do so. The basic process for any corner would be, downshift and brake as you approach the turn, red line the engine throughout the turn, then upshift and accelerate out of the turn. Indy 500 Track: This track is pretty easy in theory. There are no hairy turns to deal with. It’s just your every day oval track with four high banked turns. Like I said, it’s easy in theory...driving on it, and placing first in the race, is a completely different story. If you ever want to finish in first place you’ll have to pull off the following driving techniques consistently: First you need to learn how to get through a turn carrying the most speed possible. Try turning the wheel with small jerky movements. This helps to keep the rear tires on the ground and you in control of the car. You must use drafting techniques. You start the race in 33rd place and with only 3 laps to get in first position. As you can see, you’ll need every advantage possible to catch up to the lead car. Drafting off the car ahead will give you the added speed you’ll need to move through the pack faster. During every race, there will be at least one multi-car crash. This is your best chance to advance in position and pick up some ground on the lead car. At 240+ MPH, you won’t have much time to avoid the carnage on the track. Usually the edges of the track have the least amount of wreckage after a crash. Try to guide you car through as best possible. Highland Track: This track is the next step in your evolution as an Indy Car driver. The Highland track has tight turns, tight S-turns, and hair pin turns to deal with. It makes me sweat just thinking about it. Here is a basic walk through of the track, with suggested gears for the turns: Employ the same techniques as used on the oval track: draft lead cars when possible, and a take care to line up for the turns. You begin the race with a rolling start, in last place and in fourth gear. At the start of the race, redline 4th gear then shift immediately into 6th gear. Shifting to 5th gear would only waste time and speed. Stay low and on the inside of the first right turn. You can take this turn in 6th gear if you approach it correctly. The second turn is a tight left. Approach the turn lined up on the right side of the track. Downshift to 4th gear, and lightly brake just before entering the turn. Coast through the turn, shift back into 5th gear and accelerate out of the turn. Get back into 6th gear as soon as possible. The 3rd turn is a high speed left, that if approached correctly, can be taken in 6th gear and at full speed. As you near the turn, line up your car on the right side of the track. Turn left sharply, and aim the nose of your car toward the inside of the turn. Keep the peddle to the floor and accelerate out of the turn. Try taking the turn in 5th gear a few times before you try it in 6th gear. The next turn is the hairiest on the track--a tight, 3 curve, S-turn. Approach the turn lined up on the right side of the track. When the front of your car is about parallel with the sign on the left side of the track, downshift into 3rd or 4th gear (4th is best) and brake hard to slow down. With the car still in 3rd or 4th gear, whip the wheel first left, then right, and then left again and accelerate through the turns. Upshift 1 gear and accelerate out of the last left turn and down the short straight. Shift back into 6th gear as soon as possible. The turn after the S-turn is a sharp right into a tunnel. Line up on the left side of the track as you approach the turn. Turn the wheel right and aim toward the inside of the turn. If you line up correctly, you can take the turn in 6th gear and at top speed. If you’re not sure, downshift to 5th gear. The last turn is a sharp left back toward the Start/Finish line. Approach this turn from either the left or right edge of the track. The left side is probably the best choice for speed and time, but the turn is easiest to make from the right side. In either case, Downshift into 4th or 5th gear and lightly brake, then turn left hard to coast through the turn. Upshift and accelerate as soon as possible and line up for the next turn. Bayside Track: The Bayside track will put every skill you’ve learned to the test. It will push to the limits your ability to steer, shift and brake. You’ll need a keen eye and sharply honed reflexes if you hope ever to finish 1st on this track. The race begins from a rolling start with your car in 4th gear. Shift into 6th gear as soon as possible. You might want to redline 4th gear and shift directly into 6th gear. You’ll save a little time this way. Approach the 1st turn lined up on the right side of the track, in 6th gear, and at top speed. Turn the wheel sharply left and aim toward the inside edge of the turn. The 2nd turn is another high speed left. Brake slightly to coast through it, then accelerate back up to top speed as you exit. The 3rd turn is a kinda tricky long S-turn. Line up on the right edge of the track, downshift into 3rd gear and brake hard to slow down. Upshift to 4th gear and accelerate as you exit the first portion of the S- turn. Stay in 4th gear through the next section of the S-turn, and accelerate back to top speed as you exit. The next turn is a sharp left. Line your car up on the right side of the track as you approach the turn. Downshift into 4th gear, release the gas and coast through the turn, then accelerate to top speed as you exit. You’ll now approach a group of 3 quick turns. Since the turns come up so fast, leave the car in 4th gear until you finish the series. As you approach the first turn, downshift in to 4th gear and brake lightly. Stay in 4th gear until you enter the last turn in the series, then upshift into 5th gear, steer right hard and enter the underpass section of the track. The next turn you come to is the S-turn, which is the most difficult turn on the track. Approach the turn with your car lined up on the left side of the track. Downshift to 3rd gear, and brake hard. Whip the wheel right, then accelerate and turn left. Continue to accelerate through the right turn, and upshift to 5th gear as soon as possible. After the S-turn, you have two difficult left turns to deal with. The first is a long left; line up on the right side of the track and downshift to 4th gear as you near it. Lightly tap the brake and coast through the turn. As you exit, upshift into 5th gear and accelerate toward the next tight left turn. Quickly downshift into 4th gear, brake, and turn left hard to get through the next turn. The next few turns are just high speed turns that shouldn’t present a problem. Keep you car at top speed and zoom toward the Start/Finish line for your next lap. Codes and tricks for Indy 500: Power Steering-- This code will turn off the responsive steering wheel making it easier for you to steer. Push and hold in the blue zoom button, then select the track you wish to race on and the transmission type. After you select the transmission, you can release the button. Fifth View-- This function will pull the view camera back one more step, allowing you to see more of the race track. To get the extra view, switch to the 4th view (normally the farthest) then press both zoom buttons at exactly the same time. Driving the track in reverse-- This code, not to be confused with the “Mirror Mode,” will allow you to drive your car around the track in the opposite direction. Before you start a new game, push and hold the gear selector to the downshift position (usually forward or toward the screen). Mirror Mode--You actually have two different choices for this selection. Mirror with responsive steering and mirror with power steering. Mirror Mode-- This code will allow you to drive the track with all the turns reversed. First press and hold in the “Zoom In” (RED) button, then press start to begin your game. If you do the code correctly, all the tracks and text on the screen will be reversed. Mirror Mode W/ Power Steering-- Doing the following will give you the added pleasure of power steering. Press and hold in both “Zoom” buttons, then press start to begin your game. If you do the code correctly, the tracks and text on the screen will be reversed and the steering wheel will turn freely. Drive the Pace car-- Tired of driving that boxy Indy Car? Then how does driving a sleek new Mustang sound? Cool, then do the following trick and you’re behind the wheel before you know it. After you select your track, step on the brake and press the start button. Hold both down through the start your engines and rolling start screen. And there you have it a cool new Mustang Pace car complete with flashing strobe lights. Change ‘Em all to Pace Cars-- Tired of looking through your view screen and seeing dirty Indy cars staring back at you? Then keep your Indy car and turn them all into pace cars. To do it, after you select your track, but before the rolling start, step on the brake and simultaneously pull the gear shift lever into the upshift position. If you’re playing in a multi-player game, only the cars controlled by your machine will change. The Front View-- Want to see who that is on you tail? Press and hold the “Start” and “Zoom In” buttons simultaneously. The camera view will switch to a shot above and in front of your car. As soon as you release the buttons, the view will switch back to normal. Position Markers-- If you press the start button and either or both of the zoom buttons simultaneously, the position numbers of the cars will be displayed above each car. If you press “Start” + “Zoom In”, the view will move in one increment and display the position numbers. If you press “Start + Zoom Out”, the view will move out one increment and the position numbers will be displayed. If you press “Start” and both “Zoom” buttons simultaneously, the view will not change and the position numbers will be displayed. (c) 1996 Sega of America 4