Welcome to update day! After RaceRoom and Automobilista have both received new updates and content, Studio 397 has released the brand spanking new, scratch built NOLA Motorsports Park for rFactor 2 along with a small update to the game.
Having received one or two major mods in the last weeks already, it is now time for the first official piece of content mentioned in the February Roadmap Update to reach rFactor 2.
The update
A small update has been released for the core game, no new build. rFactor 2’s Twitter account explained that the update will add a new shader for the track.
The track
The New Orleans Louisiana, in short NOLA, Motorsports Park is a road race track located in Avondale, Louisiana near New Orleans. Having just opened in 2011, the asphalt track, which features up to 18 turns, was already part of the IndyCar racing schedule in 2015.
It is the first track to be released since Studio 397 took over rFactor 2’s development and the in-game track features five road course and another five karting layouts on the attached karting facility. The studio was able to closely work together with the track’s representatives, which made an “accurate and realistic sim version” of the track possible.
Road course layouts
Layout A and the Indy Layout do not differ too much from each other. Both feature the main straight, a technical section directly after, the back straight and the last three turns, which are the only thing all layouts have in common. The two differences between the two are that Layout A’s back straight has been weakened by adding two esses and it does not have the temporary curbs in turns one and seven, which the Indy Layout has.
Layout B gets rid of the technical section after the main straight all together, but keeps the esses from Layout B, which makes it the shortest of the layouts and ideal for slower cars.
Layout C runs around the technical section by extending the main straight and keeps the esses as well, which should make for a fluid and fast driving experience.
Layout D can be considered a mix of Layout A and Layout C, it keeps part of the extended main straight and the esses, but also runs partly through the technical section and seems to be the best of both worlds.
The karting layouts
Layout A overall has a more technical flow to it, but not is not as tight as Layout B. While still having plenty of turns it should make for an overall smooth experience.
Layout B is the shortest and most technical Layout of the five. 14 mostly tight turns will require your upmost attention when thundering around the track.
Layout C now adds a long main straight, which will make the entry into the turn one chicane especially interesting when racing.
Layout D is again a mix. It combines the technical section from Layout B with the long main straight from Layout C.
Layout E sets itself apart from the rest by adding an even longer back straight and is overall the fastest of the karting layouts.
NOLA Motorsports Park is available now in the Steam Workshop and the patch should automatically be downloaded by Steam if not specified otherwise.
