Trans-Am To Computer Game

SOURCE: SCCA

TRANS-AM'S "GLORY DAYS" TO BE CAPTURED IN NEW DRIVING SIMULATOR FROM GT INTERACTIVE

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (March 2, 1998) —The rich heritage and excitement of Trans-Am racing will soon arrive to corner and personal computer arcades with the newest racing simulator, Trans-Am Racing, set to bring the thrill of the Trans-Am "glory days" to the public this fall.

A collaborative effort between GT Interactive, Engineering Animation Inc. and SCCA Pro Racing, Trans-Am Racing captures the 1968-1972 Trans-Am seasons, complete with the legendary drivers and machines. EAI, a leading producer of enterprise-wide product data visualization and collaboration software solutions, brings its unrivaled fusion of 3D imagery and visualization technology to Trans-Am Racing, creating the most realistic automobile physics and crashes ever created on a PC.

"The Trans-Am Racing series of the 60s and 70s were truly some of the most influential and classic series in auto racing history," said Richard Burns, Vice President, Domestic Publishing for GT Interactive, a leading global publisher of software for personal computers and video game systems from Sony and Nintendo. "By melding a timeless property like Trans-Am Racing, with the technology and expertise of EAI, we can bring to life all of the excitement, charisma, and nostalgia of the hot muscle cars that defined a legendary era for auto racing."

By securing the exclusive worldwide rights to the sights and sounds that were the backbone of the "glory days" Trans-Am, GT Interactive plans to treat fans to the actual drivers, tracks, cars, and images that helped establish the Trans-Am as the era's premier racing spectacle. Every featured track, most of which have never been seen before in a racing simulation, and some of which no longer exist, will be period-correct to meticulous detail, from elevation changes to trees and track signage. The cars, —including such classics as the 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, 1970 Boss Mustang, 1970 Pontiac Firebird, 1966 Dodge Dart and 1972 AMC Javelin, —willencompass the high-horsepower, small-tire characteristics of a period when racing truly separated the "men from the boys."

"We're excited with this new partnership that will bring the history of America's muscle car road racing series to life," said John Clagett, Vice President, SCCA Pro Racing Communications and Marketing Services. "The early years of the Trans-Am featured the greatest cars and racers of the era in fender-banging, drama-filled competition. The Trans-Am Racing simulation game will rekindle interest in the roots of the Trans-Am, and bring new fans to today's NTB Trans-Am Series, —still the most action-packed, ground-pounding road racing anywhere."

Following the game's expected September, 1998 release, Trans-Am Racing demonstrations will be set up at select NTB Trans-Am Series venues.