Have Your Say: Your Favourite Sim Racing Track

Paul Jeffrey · Feb 28, 2017

RaceDepartment asks our readers to pick their all time favourite sim racing track, across any simulation, any platform and any era....

Race tracks are like compilation CD's, literally thousands exist and some might even seem good on paper, but when you get down to it the quality can vary considerably.

We all have our favourite type of circuit... Some of us like a tight round the houses street track like Macau or Monaco, others the classic curves of Spa Francorchamps or more modern constructions like Abu Dhabi and Bahrain that host Formula One Grand Prix. With such a diverse number of tracks scattered around the world and a wide range of racing games and simulations featuring many of these as either first or third party content, sim racers are literally spoilt for choice on what to drive.

In this day and age we have technology that allows us to laserscan a circuit to within millimetres of the real deal, showing every bump and camber that the real location features in a great level of detail. Such is the talent of development team groups like Sector3 Studios you don't even need to laserscan circuits to be considered one of the best in the industry at producing compelling ribbons of tarmac in their games.

So the question I want to pose to you all is - Which is your favourite sim racing track, from any game, any era and either mod or first party, and why?

Much as with the recent question we asked with regards to your favourite sim racing car, this is not a my sim is better than yours question. We simply want to know your favourite sim racing track, be it for the quality of the creation or simply your love of the actually layout itself. Of course if you pick something that is represented across multiple sims then please let us know which version is your pick of choice...

When submitting your choice feel free to leave a bit of commentary on why you chose that particular track and what makes it so special for you....

Happy debating!

Paul Jeffrey · Mar 1, 2017

As with our recent sim racing car question, we would love to hear what the devs themselves think!

@J-F Chardon @Niels_at_home @Marcel Offermans @kunos @Renato Simioni @Georg Ortner @Ian Bell @Speedo_83 @Fabio Cristi - Vae Victis

Jimlaad43 · Mar 1, 2017

The best fictional circuit ever is the Talheimring from Total Immersion Racing. Anyone who's ever driven it will agree.
Special shoutouts to Mills Metropark from rFactor and the rFactor mod track VITUS GP

Rodent · Mar 1, 2017

It's not uncommon to see complaints aimed at GT3's at Spa and I get wanting to race other things, but I also get why that combination is so popular. Spa is really one of the best places to go racing. Not my favorite though. The same can be said about Nordschleife, feels like every time I race there I find someplace where I can improve. Favorite though for now is Bathurst, much like Nords I always feel like there's room for improvement, and unlike Nords you can actually get a lap done to have another go at the curve while you still remember what you wanted to try.

Honorable mention to Laguna Seca for me, another track I see shat on quite often that I think just makes for excellent racing all around.

Grabarz · Mar 1, 2017

As for me Nordschleife from any sim
why ?
its nasty, brutal, demanding from you 101% of focus, merciless, each corner is different, and most important thing - its long perfect for endurance races

Paul Jeffrey · Mar 1, 2017

Rodent said:
Honorable mention to Laguna Seca for me

Gotta love Laguna! Spent many hours of my youth with mates playing time trial with that one in the original Gran Turismo (or was it GT2? Can't remember now).

Bunch of mates, takeaway Pizza, plenty of expensive whisky and those "special" cigarettes. Man to be young again......

Celestiale · Mar 1, 2017

I have 3:

Nordschleife from Assetto Corsa

Thomson Road Grand Prix, modded track from Fat-Alfie, for Assetto Corsa. Vegetation is absolutely brilliant, and tops every original track

Laguna Seca in Project Cars. Feels brilliant, and looks brilliant..when you are uphill you can see miles into the landscape..absolutely love it.

Bring on a laserscanned Bathurst, and i guess it would also get into contention

Fat Rich · Mar 1, 2017

Targa Florio in GPL.

Impossible to drive if you don't know it, difficult to learn, but extremely satisfying when you do.... it has a huge variety of corners, most of them blind. One of the biggest driving challenges in simracing, I reckon.

Plus, building it with GPL's primitive track building tools was an astonishing achievement.

Laserscanned Nordschleife in AC (and now other sims) is also fantastic, Clermont-Ferrand in GPL is great.

leseb64 · Mar 1, 2017

Autopolis, Charade, Nordschleife, IRL and All Sim

Metla · Mar 1, 2017

Bathurst.

The world is still waiting for a sim to do it justice, But Ive enjoyed it every time its appeared in a game.

Metla · Mar 1, 2017

Now that Ive nominated Bathurst you may as well lock the thread.

TheReaper GT · Mar 1, 2017

Nordscheleife, Bathurst, Macau, Watkins Glen and Oulton Park, in that order :-D

Rodent · Mar 1, 2017

Watkins is a good one, I still wonder why we don't see it in more sims.

Rodent · Mar 1, 2017

Wonder if anyone will vote for a Tilkedrome.

Denis E. · Mar 1, 2017

Nordschleife, Spa, Macau, Bathurst, Laguna Seca, Zandvoort, Thomson Road, Mugello

Dave R · Mar 1, 2017

Mosport Park in iRacing. One of my favorite tracks that never seems to show up as an official release in any other sim

Leynad777 · Mar 1, 2017

Nordschleife & VIR (AC), Oulton & Barber (AMS)

LeSunTzu · Mar 1, 2017

Brun's Donington Park for AC. Hundreds of race laps there and it never gets old.

Skybird05 · Mar 1, 2017

Going by the rule that the most liked track probably is the most used track, it is the Nordschleife for me, either Assetto Corsa or Raceroom - both look incredibly good and both are laserscanned, using the same commercial data set.

But there are so many more exceptionally well-made tracks out there, both commercial and mod tracks.