In late September, the Blackhole Motorsports team was able to interview the Oceania Race Sim Modders team (ORSM) about their upcoming V8 Supercar Challenge mod for F1 Challenge 99-02. This is what they had to say:

1. Please could you just give us a quick overview of who is in the team, and what their responsibilities are.

KIWI � Group founder, modelling
MOJOMAN � Lead car modeller
STU � Track & bit-part modelling
WIZZO � Track modelling
DAN � Track modelling
CUBITS � Physics
KRUNCH � Texturing & materials, menus, debugging, website
CANETOAD � Skins
PORTS � Skins, FTP master, hotlaps
TWIG � Cams, skins and hexing
GENE � Skins

And a number of other contributors who will be in the credits

2. How did ORSM get started, and how long has the team existed?

KRUNCH - Back in early 2003 on the Simbin Forums, many a thread was dedicated to discussion about how good it would be to have V8�s for F1 2002 or F1 Challenge 99-02. Kiwi actually kicked things off by starting a thread specifically to garner interest in creating models and physics. Mojoman had already begun early modelling on the Fords and Holdens and so he threw his hat into the ring. Portstevo offered to provide FTP space - it just grew from there.

3. How long has the ORSM team been working on the V8 Supercars mod?

STU � Too long!

KRUNCH � Less than a decade

4. What was the first inspiration for you to start the V8 Supercars mod? Have you
always been big V8 fans?

STU � Being a revhead in Oz, it�s kinda hard not to be fans of the V8�s. Ford v Holden is in your blood, and you always supported the marque that your old man drove when you were growing up. Every October the other lot become the sworn enemy� in the oz larrikin tradition of enemy � beer spilt over yer sleeping bag, rude finger signs and a cheeky grin while defending the virtues of your tribe. As for the racing itself, who wouldn�t be happy with packed grids of hugely overweight and powerful race cars hurling themselves at club sized tracks?

KRUNCH � It�s the top category of motorsport in Australia and so it attracts the top drivers. Top drivers clashing in large, overpowered and under-tyred beasts makes for some pretty fierce racing. It�s a hell of a lot of fun to watch so imagine driving in the series! Oh, OK now we can thanks to the mod-ability of F1C and the skill and tenacity of this bunch of blokes in ORSM.

MOJOMAN � I�ve always wanted a good, realistic V8 Supercar game. It didn�t look like we�d be seeing one any time soon, so I decided to put in my part to make a great mod.

CUBITS � There�s just something about the racing that makes it infinitely more interesting than f1�s. The very close laptimes, real rubbing, and having mental performance. It has everything the f1�s have, and all the racing fun you see in low powered, single make series. I just wish they had a differential� would make my life a lot easier!