___ _ ____ _ _ _ _ ____ | _ \ (_) _ _ | __| _ _ (_) _| |_ _| |_ /_/ / ___| ||_) | _ | | | | | |__ | | | | _ __ |_ _| |_ _| | (___ | __/ | | | | | | | __| | | | | | | / \ | | | | \__ \ ||__)\ | | | | | | | |__ | | | | | | | () | | | | | ___) | |____/ |_| |_| |_| |____| |_| |_| |_| \__/ \_\ \_\ |____/ _ __ __ ___ |\ | / \ / / /\ | \ | \ | | | \__ | | | |___/ | \| |---| \ | |--| | \ | | | | ___/ \__ | | | \ ___ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ _ __ ___ | / \ / | | | \ / \ / | / / |___ | | \___ | | |___/ | | | |/ \___ | |---| \ | | | \ |---| | | \ \ | | | ____/ | | | \ | | \__ | \ ____/ =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== [INTRO] Introduction [START] Getting Started [SETUP] Car Setup [QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions [VERSN] Version History [COPYR] Copyright [CONTC] Contact Information Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the name of the section you're looking for - like [VERSN] for the ever-popular Version History. =============================================================================== Introduction [INTRO] =============================================================================== VinnyVideo returns to stock cars for this new guide. This is my third guide for a NASCAR game, and my first in four months. Bill Elliott's NASCAR Fast Tracks is essentially the Game Boy version of Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge for the NES and PC, which was the best racing game of its time. The Game Boy version is very similar, although Talladega has been replaced by Atlanta (I'm not complaining, because Talladega is virtually identical to Daytona). This game was made for the Game Boy, so don't expect spectacular graphics. The sounds and music are on the beepy side, but what are you expecting? Still, it has the superb Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge theme music, and the music is outstanding by Game Boy standards. The game play is quite a bit of fun, although longer races can become a little monotonous. Play control may take a few minutes to get used to, but once you do, it's easy. It would've been good to have a few more courses, namely Bristol, although the game is again limited by the Game Boy's limited game sizes. Overall, this is probably the best racing game for the Game Boy. By the way, gas currently costs about $4.03 per gallon where I live. Consider this a time capsule for future readers of my guide. =============================================================================== Getting Started [START] =============================================================================== After the copyright, developer, and title screens, you'll have to choose between a 1-player and 2-player game. Most likely you'll select the 1-player option. Regardless of your selection, you'll now be at the main menu. ---NASCAR License--- Go here to enter your name, which will be shown on the race results screens. Press SELECT on this input if you want to enter a Registration Number, that is, a password, which is only applicable for saved seasons. ---Difficulty Level--- Choose between Novice, Rookie, and Expert difficulty settings. Opponents' cars go slightly faster on higher difficulty levels, so stick with Novice difficulty until you're comfortable with the game's controls and settings. ---Select Track--- Here you can choose between the four circuits in the game: Daytona (a fast superspeedway), Atlanta (a medium oval), Watkins Glen (a road course), and Sears Point (a very tight, winding course). Use Up or Down on the Control Pad to select the number of laps in a race. If you choose the "Championship Season" track, you'll begin a season mode where you race at all the tracks in succession. A password feature allows you to resume a saved game using the "NASCAR License" registration number. ---Select Car--- Choose between the three cars available in this game: the Oldsmobile Cutlass, Ford Thunderbird, and Chevrolet Lumina. These cars are all extremely similar, although there are some shades of distinction between them that shall be discussed later on, in the FAQ section. By the way, there were no Oldsmobiles in NASCAR in 1991. ---Qualify--- If qualifying is set to "Yes," you'll run a qualifying session before each race to determine your starting position. If set to "No," your car will start near last place. ---Practice--- This is a special mode that lets you practice certain scenarios. All except Following a Line take place at Daytona. In Drafting, simply draft off Bill Elliott until you get close enough to pass him. Not tough. Passing is similar to Drafting, only with more cars on the road. Following a Line: Just keep following Bill Elliott as he guides you through the ultra-difficult Sears Point course. In Pitting, you must complete a lap around the track with a very damaged car, using the draft to keep up with the other cars. Then enter the pits, remembering your pit box is at the very back. Make a few repairs, then exit and try to win. Not easy. ---Race--- Select this option to hit the racetrack! The car setup screen will appear. Check the Car Setup section in my guide for suggested setups for each course. After the qualifying session, if applicable, you'll see the starting grid and the actual race will begin. =============================================================================== Car Setup [SETUP] =============================================================================== Transmission: The most important selection in the game! Using the manual transmission boosts your car's maximum speed by 3 MPH, so definitely select it on speedways. If you're racing at a road course, or if you are less experienced or playing on Rookie difficulty, you can get away with using an automatic. Using the manual transmission at Daytona and Talladega is pretty easy, but it's a little bit trickier at Watkins Glen and especially Sears Point, because you'll have to shift gears more frequently. If you select the manual, you must remember to upshift while accelerating, or else you'll eventually blow your engine. At Daytona, shift gears around 90, 125, and 165 MPH, and shift more quickly on road courses (assuming you're using the proper gearbox settings). Engine: Choose between a Racing and Qualifying engine. The qualifying engine boosts your car's top speed by 3 MPH, but it won't last long enough for a race. Use it just for qualifying sessions, and select the Racing engine for the actual race. Spoiler: The spoiler angle can be set anywhere between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. Reduce this to increase your top speed to the detriment of handling. A higher angle will slow you down but improve handling. Check the table below for the suggested spoiler angle (and other settings) for each course. If you don't change the gearbox, the difference between a 20-degree spoiler and a 70 is about 14 MPH. Use a slightly higher spoiler angle on long races, and slightly lower in qualifying sessions. Gear Ratio: First of all, NEVER set the gearbox lower than 3.1 or higher than 4.57, or you'll suffer from poor performance. A lower ratio (3.1) will significantly boost your top speed while hurting acceleration; good for superspeedways. A higher ratio (like 4.57) will allow you to accelerate very quickly, but you won't be able to go as fast once you get going. Running a very high gearbox (like 4.43) at a superspeedway is a great way to blow your engine. Stagger: This affects the ratio between the sizes of the inside and outside tires. A higher angle helps on turns, but it can also make your car harder to control on straightaways. You can set the stagger anywhere between zero and three inches. Suggested settings: Daytona Atlanta Watkins Glen Sears Point Spoiler 28 38 58 64 Gear Ratio 3.1 3.57 4.43 4.57 Stagger 1.0 2.0 0.37 0.0 Experiment with different setups to find one that works well for you. =============================================================================== Frequently Asked Questions [QUEST] =============================================================================== Q: What are the controls? A: The controls in Bill Elliott's NASCAR Fast Tracks aren't tough to figure out, but here they are anyway: A: Accelerate B: Brake (not used much except at Sears Point) Left/Right: Steer Up: Shift gears up (only with a manual transmission) Down: Shift gears down (only with a manual transmission) START: Pause game SELECT: Does less than football sideline reporters (nothing) Remember that you have to take your foot off the pedal for a split-second as you shift gears. Q: What are all those numbers and dials I see during the race? A: The numbers on the top show your current position, the amount of time you're behind the leader (or ahead of the second-place car, if you're leading), and the number of laps remaining in the race. On the bottom part of the screen: Current speed, tachometer, fuel gauge, damage indicator, low fuel warning light, flag, and shift stick. Q: I keep slamming into the wall! What am I doing wrong? A: First check the Car Setup section and make sure your car is properly configured for the course. You could try increasing your car's wing angle or stagger. If a race has been going on a while and you're not handling well, you probably need to enter the pits to get new tires. You may also not know the proper steering strategy used in this game. You must keep tapping Left on the Control Pad (assuming it's not a road course), as holding the steer button will cause you to spin out. Q: Why shouldn't I hit the wall? A: If you touch the wall, you'll sustain damage, which will reduce your car's performance if the damage becomes severe. If you hit the wall too hard, you'll crash and drop out or get towed into the pits. These wrecks are elegantly referred to as "fatal accidents" in the PC version's manual (ending the race, not your life). Remember that hitting other cars causes damage, too. Q: Is there any difference between the cars? A: Yes, but the distinctions will not be noticed by most beginners. The Ford Thunderbird's maximum speed is about 1 MPH higher than the other cars', so it works well at Daytona. The Oldsmobile Cutlass (a Pontiac Grand Prix in the NES version) boasts the best acceleration among any of the cars, making it good for courses like Sears Point. The Chevy Lumina handles slightly better than the others. Q: Is there any advantage to using a manual transmission? A: Most definitely! A manual transmission boosts your maximum top speed by 3 MPH. Once you've gotten the hang of the game, I strongly recommend using a manual at all speedways and maybe even road courses. Q: What are the differences between the difficulty levels?A: On the Novice and Rookie difficulty levels, your car goes faster than all the opponents' cars. On the Pro level, your top speed is about the same as that of Bill Elliott and the other main contenders, and you won't have any hope of winning unless you drive well and use the manual transmission. Q: What do the different flags mean? A: Here's what each flag, shown on the right side of the bottom of the screen, indicates: G: Green (The default "Keep racing, everything's normal") Y: Yellow (A car has crashed, and the pace car is about to come out) B: Black (If you don't come into the pits to repair your heavy damage, you'll be disqualified) W: White (The lead car has begun its last lap) Checkered: Race over Keep an eye on the flag indicator and be prepared to react when it changes. Q: How do pit stops work? A: In longer races, effective pit work is crucial, just as it is in real life. First veer into the pit lane (it should be located immediately before the finish line, near the small "Pit" sign). Once you're in the pits, watch your speed - beginners should go slowly, but advanced players don't need to brake until about 10 stalls beforehand. Remember that your pit box location is based on your qualifying position. If you qualified first, it will be in the back of pits; if you qualified last, it will be at the front. An arrow will indicate the precise location. You must brake squarely in your team's pit box, or else the stop won't begin and you'll have to make another lap before pitting. Once the crew is out, you must make decisions quickly to save precious seconds. Press A to select an option (one at a time): Gas only, Right-side tires, Left- side tires, All four tires, Damage, Adjust Stagger, or Adjust Spoiler angle. Your gas tank will be refilled if you select any option except Spoiler Adjust. The meters next to the tire options indicate how worn the tires are. When the crew is finished doing its job, you can get them to change something else, but usually it's best just to select one of the first four options unless damage is severe. Once you're finished with the stop, press START. Unless you select Gas only or Damage repair, you can't end the stop until all crew members are back in their proper spots. When you resume driving, remember to keep holding down A, and don't forget to upshift back on the track. Q: How long does each pit operation take? A: Here are the figures I've found from my experiments, with a margin of error of about one-tenth of a second: Gas only: 6.5 seconds for a fillup of an empty tank, but less time if you terminate the stop early Right tires: 12.2 seconds Left tires: 7.5 seconds All four tires: 16.7 seconds Damage: Approximately 16 seconds for full repair, depending on the level of damage; like Gas only, you can quit this process early for a partial repair Stagger: 12.5 seconds Spoiler: 17.5 seconds. Get this right when you start the race! What's more, unlike other repairs, you won't be gassed up while the other pit crew members are doing this Q: Is there anything I can do to make pit stops faster? A: No, although you can press START while refueling to end the stop and refuel partway. A lot of the time, it isn't necessary to fully refuel. This partial refueling can save a couple of valuable seconds. Q: What happens if you run out of gas? A: You start coasting to a stop, and the race will end if you don't enter the pits soon. On a short track like Atlanta, you might be able to coast into the pits after running out of gas. Q: What's the fastest straight-line speed you can achieve? A: In qualifying, 203 MPH. In races, you can do 206 MPH if you draft off a leading car on the Pro difficulty level. You must race at Daytona and use a manual transmission to maximize straight-line speeds. Q: Why didn't you include a passwords section? A: As you may know, I always include a password for each race in my F-1 guides. In this game, however, there are thousands of different valid password combinations, depending on the length of the races and other factors. To earn the highest score at the end of the season, you must run 500-mile events and win every one while leading the most laps. This would take a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time. If you don't know this by now, passwords can be entered on the NASCAR License screen (press SELECT to switch between name and reg. Q: What are the full names of the drivers in this game? A: There are 15 drivers in races, not including yourself. Your opponents' full names are Stan Chow, Doug (Cooter) Davis, Bill Elliott, Theresa (T-Bone) Henry, Allan (Bo) Johanson, Doc Jones, Erik Kiss (Buddy Kiss Jr.), Chris Lippmann, Don (Cole) Mattrick, Ray Parson, Doug Smith, Michael Sokyrka, Weiss, Jason Williams, and Amory Wong (Amory Jackson). I have their names from the NES version in parentheses. I don't know Weiss's first name. Except Bill Elliott, most or all of these drivers are programmers and game designers. In the PC version, the drivers had goofy names like Iggy Nition. Q: What other notes and tips do you have for the game? A: Here are some miscellaneous tips and random observations for this game: * Yellow flags are treacherous! Watch out for crashed cars on the road; if you hit one, you'll crash. Also be careful if you can go full speed; the main field is probably just ahead, and it's difficult to brake hard enough to avoid slamming into the back of a car and wreck. * Be willing to take your foot off the accelerator when passing lapped cars. Aggressive passing is the main cause of car damage and unnecessary, premature tire wear. * When the fuel light begins flashing, stop within a couple of laps - maybe four laps if at Atlanta. * A busy pit lane is dangerous! It's safest to stay near the right side for a while until you're close to your pit box, when you can veer leftwards. * If your pit box is at the far end of the pits, an experienced player can go at full speed through the pit area and won't need to brake until about 10 spots from the appropriate stall. Don't try this if you're a beginner - or if you're playing a newer NASCAR game, where you'll surely be slapped with a big penalty if you try to speed in the pit lane. * You don't need to make a pit stop in a four-lap race, even though the fuel light will flash. * In qualifying, it's best to be cautious for the first half of your first lap, which doesn't count. You don't want to risk unnecessary damage or tire wear. * The race ends when the moment the leader crosses the finish line. * In longer races, your fingers may get tired of holding down the A button all the time. Try using a rubber band to depress A for you. Of course, this trick doesn't work on road courses or if your tires are worn. * The two-player mode is quite good, assuming you can find two copies of the game, two Game Boys, a Game Link cable, and a friend or enemy to play against. * Bill Elliott's car can be distinguished from the others by the number nine on its back. * The Sears Point course is also known as Sonoma, or more recently, Infineon. Q: How long did it take you to become one of the "Most Prolific" walkthrough writers and screenshot contributors at GameFAQs? A: About ten months from the time I started my first guide, or seven months since the first guide was posted. Basically, about six months of intensive guide-writing, with a few short intermissions. You could also look at it by saying that, on average, I wrote one walkthrough per week. I don't mean to brag, but I'm one of only two people at the moment who have submitted 30 complete walkthroughs AND 1,000 screenshots. You too can become one of the most prolific guide writers if you're willing to work hard and maybe miss a little bit of sleep occasionally. =============================================================================== Version History [VERSN] =============================================================================== This is the REAL reason why you read this guide: to peruse the Version History. Date | Version | Size | --------|---------|------|----------------------------------------------------- 6-25-08 | 0.1 | 9KB | Began guide. 6-26-08 | 0.15 | 10KB | Did a little. 6-27-08 | 0.2 | 11KB | Added ASCII title artwork. 6-28-08 | 0.25 | 11KB | Did very little. 6-29-08 | 0.5 | 15KB | Made good progress. 7- 1-08 | 1.0 | 24KB | Completed guide. =============================================================================== Copyright [COPYR] =============================================================================== (c) 2008 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective holders. You can print this guide out for your personal use. You can download this guide to your computer for personal use. You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit to me AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even a tilde). Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on there being many (if any) updates. You can translate this guide into a foreign language and post the translation on your Web site if you ask for permission first. You can't post this guide on your Web site and say you wrote the guide yourself. You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites that contain) sexually explicit images of naked humans (that is, pornography), gambling, racism, or flattery of totalitarian regimes. You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything in this guide that took me so many hours to write. If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted (permanently erased) inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life. Heed this warning. =============================================================================== Contact Information [CONTC] =============================================================================== If you have any questions or comments about this guide, send an e-mail to VHamilton002@gmail.com. Remember that not all e-mails will be read. Please follow these rules: Do include "Bill Elliott" in the subject line. Do tell me about any errors or omissions you see in this guide. Do send polite suggestions about ways to make this walkthrough better. Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you find. Do ask any questions you have about Bill Elliott's NASCAR Fast Tracks gameplay. I will answer them eventually if you follow all of these guidelines. Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage, punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're saying. Do use patience. I check my messages rather sporadically. Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violation of this rule will result in permanent constipation. ******************************************************************************* Current list of VinnyVideo guides available on GameFAQs.com and Neoseeker.com: F1 ROC: Race of Champions FAQ/Walkthrough F1 ROC II: Race of Champions FAQ/Walkthrough SimCity 3000 Walkthrough/Strategy Guide Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing FAQ/Walkthrough Kyle Petty's No Fear Racing FAQ/Strategy Guide Madden NFL '96 (SNES) FAQ/Strategy Guide Madden NFL '97 (SNES) FAQ/Strategy Guide Madden NFL '98 (SNES) FAQ/Strategy Guide ESPN Speed World FAQ/Strategy Guide The Oregon Trail: Fifth Edition FAQ/Walkthrough The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest Low-Spoiler FAQ/Walkthrough Off Road Challenge FAQ/Walkthrough F-1 World Championship Edition (SNES) FAQ/Walkthrough Donkey Kong 64 FAQ/Walkthrough Where in America's Past is Carmen Sandiego (PC) FAQ/Walkthrough Michael Andretti's Indy Car Challenge FAQ/Walkthrough Mario Open Golf (Japan) FAQ/Walkthrough Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) FAQ/Walkthrough MicroLeague Football 2: The Coach's Challenge FAQ/Strategy Guide Scooby-Doo: Unmasked! (GBA) FAQ/Walkthrough All-Star Baseball 2004 (GBA) FAQ/Strategy Guide BS Super Mario USA 2 (Japan) FAQ/Walkthrough BS Super Mario USA 1 (Japan) FAQ/Walkthrough BS Super Mario USA 3 (Japan) FAQ/Walkthrough BS Super Mario USA 4 (Japan) FAQ/Walkthrough All-Star Baseball 2003 (GBA) FAQ/Strategy Guide Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (PC) FAQ/Walkthrough Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (GBA) FAQ/Walkthrough Formula One 2000 (GBC) FAQ/Walkthrough All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. FAQ/Walkthrough Mary-Kate & Ashley: Winner's Circle (GBC) FAQ/Strategy Guide Bill Elliott's NASCAR Fast Tracks FAQ/Strategy Guide And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Reserve 200 MPH driving for the racetrack. No one's going to read this section, anyway. For Bill Elliott and Jeff Elliott (who are not related)