NASCAR Heat Evolution Features 40-Player Races

Hey, PlayStation drivers! NASCAR Heat Evolution began with a mission: deliver the most intense NASCAR racing experience. Working alongside Monster Games, known for developing classic NASCAR games like the original NASCAR Heat and NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona, we pushed ourselves to find innovative ways to make our racing vision a reality.
That meant extensive car tuning options, adaptive AI that adjusts to your skill level, in-depth Career and Championship modes to capture the exhilaration of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and a new Challenge mode for those who want to step into the cockpit of their favorite drivers and recreate real-life history.

But the biggest thing we wanted to do to separate NASCAR Heat Evolution from any NASCAR title you’ve played before is in online competitive multiplayer. As the first official NASCAR game on PS4, we recognized we had the power to do things never before possible in a NASCAR game. So we committed to giving players the real deal: a full field of 40 racers in online multiplayer — 40 human players all going for the checkered flag in the same race.

In previous NASCAR console games, each multiplayer game was hosted by a specific user, and that kind of peer-to-peer system could result in a number of issues — the host could leave, or have a poor connection, and that could negatively alter the entire race. We knew that system wouldn’t fly if we wanted to put 40 players together in NASCAR Heat Evolution. We built a new system where each online game’s data is hosted by a server. All race data comes from that server, so the entire race experience is no longer tied to any one player.

There will be three different online lobbies available: No Rules, Normal, and Hosted.
No Rules: If you’re a beginner just looking to learn, bump, and crash (or you just want to bump and crash), the No Rules lobby is for you. This is a great place to practice, try things out, or just have a good time with friends.
Normal: For players who want to test their skills but are still looking for a good, clean, and friendly race.

Hosted: This lobby is for people who are more serious about racing. Race hosts will have the option to decide which level of player can join the race session. For example, if the host only wants racers level 5 or higher, he or she can set that parameter when creating the session. In addition, hosts have the right to boot players from their game.

Within each of these lobbies, players have the option of joining an existing session or creating their own. When creating your own race, you’ll be able to select the track, number of laps, fuel/tire wear, and max number of players. Once a race has been created, it will begin in 60 seconds whether the requested number of drivers have joined or not.
Unfortunately, due to the resources required to balance 40 separate players in one race, caution flags will not be available in online multiplayer. It’s not an ideal situation, but we really believe in the new opportunities that multiplayer on this scale opens up. Pitting will still be available in online races depending on the race length and wear options selected. Finally, players have the option to create a private race and invite their friends. This feature is perfect for NASCAR Heat Evolution leagues that want to host weekly races.

Multiplayer will only feature human drivers on the track, so if there are 24 human players in a session, you will see 24 cars on screen. Your starting position is determined by previous lap times at that track. Those with faster lap times will start closer to the front, helping to ensure that players of equal racing ability are placed near one another for a clean start. If a player quits a race for any reason, their car will disappear from the race, but everyone else can continue to compete for the checkered flag. Players who finish online multiplayer races will get Speed Points, as they do in offline racing. There are also a number of PlayStation Trophies up for grabs for those who compete online.
Online or offline, we’re very excited for you to finally get your chance to play NASCAR Heat Evolution when it launches on September 13. See you on the track!

Radioactive: Richmond - "Whiny little [expletive] ain't getting any help from me."

Check out all the best scanner audio from the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

John Hunter Nemechek gains primary sponsorship for five of seven Truck chase races

Ahead of his participation in the first Camping World Truck Series Chase, NEMCO Motorsports has announced that John Hunter Nemechek has gained sponsorship from Fire Alarm Services, Inc. for five of the seven postseason races.

Nemechek, who claimed his second win of the year two weeks ago at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a controversial finish, has already been sponsored by FAS in three races this year, which included a pole at Iowa Speedway.

The No. 8 Chevrolet will have FAS on it beginning with the Chase opening race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 24. It will reappear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Phoenix International Raceway and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“NEMCO Motorsports is very proud and honored to have Fire Alarm Services, Inc., return as a primary sponsor for a majority of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase events,” team owner Joe Nemechek said in a press release. “John Hunter (Nemechek) captured the first pole award for Fire Alarm Services, Inc., and we hope to capture the first championship with them as well.”

Nemechek will be one of eight drivers in the Truck Series’ Chase field. The field will be completely set in this weekend’s regular season finale at Chicagoland Speedway.

Who’s Hot and Cold at the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup

Once the Chase for the Sprint Cup starts, only two tracks remain on the schedule that teams haven’t competed at yet – Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Homestead closes out the postseason while Chicagoland has kicked off the Chase since 2011.

At Chicagoland, one of five 1.5-mile tracks in the Chase, qualifying has had little bearing on who finishes the day in victory lane.

Fifteen race have been held at Chicagoland since 2001. Only once has a winner started in the top five (Kyle Busch, 2008). That year, qualifying was canceled. Just five Chicagoland winners have come from the top 10 and there’s only been one (Matt Kenseth, 10th in 2013) in the last five races.

In 2015, Denny Hamlin won from 29th. Brad Keselowski‘s two wins, in 2014 and 2012, came from 25th and 13th. Qualifying has been canceled the last two years.

Of the 16 drivers in the Chase, six have won at Chicagoland and two have won twice (Kevin Harvick and Keselowski). Tony Stewart is the all-time leader with three wins.

Here’s a look at who is hot and cold going into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400.

Who’s Hot

Denny Hamlin: Won at Richmond, third win of season (second in the last five races). Eighth straight top-10 finishes, the longest streak of his career. Won this race last year after leading just nine laps. Only two top fives in 10 Chicago starts.

Kevin Harvick: Finished fifth at Richmond, fourth consecutive top-five finish (matches longest streak of top-five finishes by a driver this season). Finished top 10 in 12 of the last 14 races. Has  21 top-10 finishes in 2016, most by three. Only three finishes in 2016 worst than 15th. Two-time Chicago winner (2001-2002). Top fives in two of the last three races at Chicago.

Brad Keselowski: Finished fourth at Richmond, finished in the top 10 in 13 of the last 17 races, including three wins. Top 10s in the last five races at Chicago, including two wins (2012 and 2014). Finished top 10 in 18 of the last 19 races on 1.5-mile tracks, including wins in two of the last five.

Kyle Larson: Finished second at Richmond, top-three three finishes in the last three races (longest streak of career), including a win at Michigan. Finished top six in five of the last seven races. Two starts at Chicago, finished third and seventh.

Who’s Cold

Matt Kenseth: Finished 38th, DNF accident while running in top five at Richmond last week. Has only five top-10 finishes in last 12 races. Two wins this season, Dover and New Hampshire (two of the three races in round one). Top-10 finishes including a win in three races at Chicago with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Carl Edwards: Finished in top 10 in only seven of the last 17 races after having eight top 10s and two wins in the first nine races of 2016. Five poles this season, most of 2016 and his most ever in a season. Last top-five finish was second at Kentucky in the lower downforce package for 2017. Best finish at Chicago in 11 starts is second, twice, including last year.

Tony Stewart: Finished 21st or worse in the last four races. Five top-five finishes this season, only had three total in the previous two seasons combined. Three-time Chicago winner with top-10 finishes in 10 of his 14 starts. Finished 18th and 25th in the last two Chicago races.

Kurt Busch: Finished eighth at Richmond, only third top-10 finish in the last 10 races; finished top 10 in 14 of the first 16 races of 2016. Top-10 finishes in the last three races at Chicago, including his best finish of third last year.

Other notes of interesting entering Sunday’s races

The driver leading the most laps won only one of the last six races at Chicagoland (Matt Kenseth in 2013).
Chicagoland is one of three active tracks that Roush Fenway Racing has not won at (Indianapolis and Kentucky are the other two).
Four drivers have won the six races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2016: Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski have two wins
each; Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr have one win each.
Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick are the only drivers that have finished in the top 10 in all six races at 1.5-mile tracks in 2016.
Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher are only Chase drivers without a top-10 finish at a 1.5-mile track this season.

Richard Petty Motorsports changes crew chiefs on Aric Almirola’s No. 43 Ford

After missing the Sprint Cup playoffs, Aric Almirola will have a new crew chief for the final 10 races of the season.

Richard Petty Motorsports replaced Trent Owens with Drew Blickensderfer to lead the team for Almirola’s No. 43 Ford. RPM will reassign Owens within the company.

“We are continuing to analyze every part of our organizations and make adjustments where needed,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said in a release. “We’ve made significant investments in both teams, and the results for the No. 43 team have not been what we expected. By making this change now, we hope that Drew (Blickensderfer) can begin momentum to improving on-track performance and get the team in a good place for the 2017 season. Trent Owens has been a valued member of our organization and will continue to play a significant role with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

Owens was in his third season as Almirola’s crew chief, guiding the team to the 2014 playoffs with a July victory at Daytona International Speedway.

Blickensderfer, who had served as RPM’s director of R&D, has three victories as a Sprint Cup crew chief, including the 2009 Daytona 500 with Matt Kenseth. He most recently was the crew chief for Sam Hornish Jr. in 10 races last year. Between the Xfinity and Sprint Cup series, Blickensderfer has worked with 13 drivers  and tallied 15 wins, 16 top fives and 104 top 10s.

NASCAR Heat Evolution PC Challenger Mode Matt DiBenedetto 3

NASCAR Heat Evolution PC Challenger Mode Matt DiBenedetto

2016 Fall Richmond Scanner Sounds

NASCAR's best in-car audio from Richmond. (September 2016)