However,
only the Rendition Ready versions will have the enhanced graphics
which produce the preferred, more visually appealing versions
of the CART circuits.Note: Sierra/Papryus CART Racing and AllAmerican Sports CART Racing should not be confused with Microsoft CART Precision Racing. Microsoft CART Precision Racing is an entirely different product and cannot be used for track conversion to GPL.
There have been several different releases of Papyrus' last Indycar/CART racing sim. Any of the versions discussed below (except the Mac version) can be used to produce tracks for GPL using David Noonan's track converter.
However,
only the Rendition Ready versions will have the enhanced graphics
which produce the preferred, more visually appealing versions
of the CART circuits.
Confusingly, the most recently published version of CART has the Rendition Ready logo (right) on the packaging but does not actually contain a Rendition Ready version of the game. Details below.
I'll attempt to clarify the history of the various releases here. I've included every version of which I'm aware, but note that there may be other versions as well. If you find a version not documented here, please contact me.
Papyrus originally published the game
in 1995 as IndyCar Racing 2 (ICR2 for short). This was a DOS game
only.
The package is shown at left. Click on the picture for a larger image.
Later a Windows 95 version was published. This was known as "Windy". Its tracks seem to be identical to those in the DOS version and they can be used for conversion to GPL.
A Mac version was also present on the original Windy CD. I believe this was the only Mac version of ICR2 published. It generated a small but very loyal following.
In 1996 Papyrus developed a version
with enhanced graphics and an executable which took advantage
of the new Rendition hardware. This version was bundled with Sierra's
Rendition 1000 card, known as the Screamin' 3D (right). It became
known as ICR2 Rendition.
Other vendors of Rendition 1000 cards also marketed their cards with the Rendition version of CART bundled inside. These included Intergraph's Intense 3D, Canopus' Total3D, and I/O Magic's Magic Video. Go here for more details about the Rendition video cards.
See my Sims section for more information about ICR2.
Sierra later re-released ICR2 as Sierra/Papyrus
CART Racing.
In 1995 a feud erupted between CART and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George. As a result of this feud, CART lost the right to use the IndyCar name.
When CART lost the rights to the IndyCar name, CART's IndyCar license to Sierra became invalid, so Sierra modified the game, substituting "CART" for "IndyCar", and released it on a new CD in a new package (at right).
This release included the Rendition and DOS versions in subfolders called DOS\REND and DOS\CART. It also had the Windows "Windy" version in the main folder on the CD.
This version also included an excellent new Strategy Guide by Steve Smith.
The installer in this version had the unfortunate feature of copying all three versions to the user's hard drive, which resulted in three complete versions of the game occupying space on the hard drive!
See my Sims section for more information about CART and
a workaround for the installer
problems.
CART Racing was later repackaged under the Sierra Sports label (right). In the copies I've seen, the CD was unchanged and the jewel case cover inside the box still had the earlier image.
The Strategy Guide was included in the Sierra Sports copies I've seen.
Sierra eventually re-released CART Racing
yet again under the AllAmerican Sports Series label. A new version
of the CD was pressed, and new packaging created (left).
The AllAmerican Sports Series version has no DOS folder on the CD. It appears that, rather than fixing the installer to allow the user to choose which version to install, Sierra simply deleted those pesky old DOS versions, including the Rendition version.
The result is that there is no Rendition version anywhere on the CD, despite the fact that the packaging says "Rendition Ready". The only version present is Windy. Windy can be used as the source for the conversion of tracks to GPL, but the resulting tracks will look rather plain.
This version does not include a hard copy of the Strategy Guide, but it does include the Strategy Guide and the CART manual in PDF format on the CD.
The AllAmerican Sports Series version is what you are most likely to see in stores today, unfortunately, and I believe it will probably be the version you get if you order CART from Sierra. You can order it for $9.95 here.
Here's a summary of the various versions:
|
Actually Rendition Ready? |
CD © Date |
"Rendition Ready" Logo? |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
IndyCar 2 (ICR2) |
No | 1995 | No |
|
UK/Australian "Windy" |
No | 1996 | No |
|
ICR2 Rendition (Bundled with Rendition cards) |
Yes | 1996 | Yes |
|
Sierra/Papyrus CART Racing |
Yes | 1996,1997 | Yes |
|
Sierra Sports CART Racing |
Yes | 1996,1997 | Yes |
|
AllAmerican Sports Series CART Racing |
No | 1998 | Yes |
|
3 Hot Sierra Games |
Yes | 1995-1998 | ? |
|
Editor's Choice Collection |
Yes | ? | ? |
As
the table suggests, the AllAmerican Sports Series version is mislabeled;
its packaging contains the "Rendition Ready" logo (at
right), but it does not in fact have a Rendition version of CART
on the CD. Details above.
This is the only US version of CART that I know of that lacks the Rendition folder, DOS\REND, and therefore is not Rendition Ready.
However, several European and Australian readers have reported international versions whose packaging differs from the versions I've seen and have illustrated below.
In the US, you can hopefully identify the version of a copy of CART you are planning to purchase by referring to the Packages section below.
If you can open the package, there are several additional ways you might be able to determine whether the version you have is actually Rendition Ready.
I believe the copyright © date(s) on CD's sold in the US are a reliable indicator of whether the CD contains a Rendition version of ICR2 or CART. The dates are shown in the table above.
However, several European and Australian readers have reported international versions which differ from the versions I've seen.
In the Papyrus/Sierra and Sierra Sports CART versions I've seen, the CD has black printing on a red ink background and is dated © 1996, 1997.
The AllAmerican Sports Series CART Racing CD I have is printed with black ink and is dated © 1998.
You can tell for sure if the version of CART you have or are planning to buy is actually Rendition Ready by putting the CD in a computer and looking for a folder named DOS\REND. If it's there, you've got a Rendition version; if not, you don't.
The Rendition-Ready versions of ICR2 which came in Rendition card bundles can be identified by an executable named RR.EXE in the main ICR2 folder. Also, their track folders contain five tracks with the HQ suffix.
Below are images of the various packages. Click on each image to see a larger picture.
|
|
|
|
|
Papyrus/Sierra CART Racing |
Sierra Sports CART Racing |
Sierra Screamin' 3D (ICR2 on CD bundle) |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Sierra Editor's Choice Collection (Front) | Sierra Editor's Choice Collection (Back) |
In the Sierra Sports packages I've seen, the CD jewel case inside has a cover which has the same image as the Papyrus/Sierra CART Racing box at left. The CD inside has black printing on a red ink background and is dated © 1996, 1997.
In addition to Sierra's Screamin' 3D, pictured above, several other vendors of Rendition cards marketed their cards with the Rendition version of CART bundled inside. These included Intergraph's Intense 3D, Canopus' Total3D, and I/O Magic's Magic Video. Go here for more details about the Rendition video cards.
See my Sims section for more information about CART and ICR2.
The Rendition version of CART is also in some software bundles published by Sierra:
Editor's Choice Collection
Here's some info from J.P. Hovercraft, who bought it:
I recently bought Sierra's "Editor's Choice Collection" package and got the Rendition files in the version of CART Racing included in the package. The package includes the Strategy Guide and the CDs are printed with the "Editors Choice" logo as seen on the box.
I've attached a scan of the front of the box and a partial scan of the back [above]. The Collection includes "Front Page Sports Golf", "Caesar II", "You Don't Know Jack", "Rama" and "CART Racing (formerly IndyCar Racing II)."
3 Hot Sierra Games
Michael Thompson reports:
3 Hot Sierra Games includes CART Racing, Front Page Pro Golf98 and Caesar II. This was released in Australia. It was given away when you bought certain Sierra games, including GPL. I picked it up seperately on a bargain table in EB the other day for $5.
This contains win95, DOS and Rendition versions. If you drill down through the directory structure you will see a Rendition directory. The converter seems to find the HQ directories once you tell it where the root directory is.
There used to be a Sierra display stand in the store that promoted this package as a free gift with the purchase of any Sierra game from the display. The display stand has disappeared from most of the stores now and I think Electronics Boutique must have just found these lying around out back somewhere and dumped them on their bargain table.
The image on the pack was the same as the image called "Papyrus/Sierra CART Racing" [above] on your site. The package was just a carboard envelope about 5" by 10". The package says copyright Sierra On-line 1998. The CD itself had blue text on a light background and has copyright Sierra On-Line 1995-1998.
For those who did not already have CART RACING it truly is a bargain now that the converter has come out!
|
|
|
|
IndyCar Racing 2 |
AllAmerican Sports CART Racing |
|---|
The AllAmerican Sports image is from a CD jewel case which was purchased without a box. The jewel case says "Rendition Ready" on the back, but this is clearly a mistake, because only the non-Rendition Windy version is present on the CD.
This version is also sold in a box, which I believe has the same image on the front and the same "Rendition Ready" logo on the back.
The CD inside is printed with black ink and is dated © 1998.
January 2003: Rick reports: I found a website where you can get the Rendition version of "cart racing" It's the Editors Choice collection and I got it at www.cdromusa.com.
As of late March 2000, Sierra sells two versions of CART through their online store:
The inexpensive Sierra Sports CART Racing is the original Rendition Ready version, complete with the Strategy Guide by Steve Smith. However, this version now seems to be sold out.
The more costly AllAmerican Sports version is not Rendition Ready. See above for more details about CART versions.
A Canadian company, Dragon.ca, is another online source for CART Racing. Go here:
Dragon's international shipping costs seem to be much more reasonable than Sierra's. Their Shipping page shows CDN$9.95 Air Mail for International shipments, and half that for US and Canada. For overseas I recommend Air Mail since surface mail will probably take a month or more.
In March 2000, Dragon was shipping the original Sierra Sports Rendition Ready version but as of late April 2000, I've received two reports from people who received the non-Rendition Ready AllAmerican Sports version instead. Like Sierra, Dragon may have sold out of the Rendition Ready version.
Update 917/00: I received a report from Peter Wilde, who said that he got a copy of Rendition Ready CART from Dragon last week. Maybe they still have more!
Another mail order company shows the Rendition version of CART in their online catalog at:
The price is $9.95 plus shipping. A reader reported getting a copy from this source in late August 2000.
Update 9/14/00: I posted a news item about this on September 4, 2000. Unfortunately, Software & Stuff is now reporting that they are out of stock on this item. Looks like there were a bunch of people who still wanted it!
Update: in January 2001, a reader reported purchasing CART from Most Significant Bits, Inc. Go here for details.
Other possible retail sources include Fry's Electronics, Best Buy, Babbage's, Electronics Boutique, and CompUSA.
Potential sources for used copies of Rendition Ready versions include the eBay, Excite, and Amazon.com auctions. As I write this, ten copies of CART are available in the Amazon.com auction. The images on the auction display show the original Rendition Ready version of CART.