    ______    ____   ___  __________  ____      _____   ___ ____
   /  __  \  /    |  \  \/  __   __//  __  \   /    |  /  //    |
  /  /  \  |/  /\  |  \    / /  /  /  /  |  | /  /| | /  //  /\  |
 /  /_ /  //  ___   | /  /  /  /   |  |__/  //  / | |/  //  ___   |
/_______ //__/   |__|/__/  /__/    \_______//__/  |____//__/   |__|TM
                                           __   __   _____    __
                                          / /  / / /  ---_\  /  |
                                         / /  / /  \ \---   / /| |
                                        / /__/ / __ ===| | / ___  |
                                        |_____/  \______/ /_/   |_|
                                         Frequently Asked Questions
                                                 And Driver's Guide
                                                       version 0.85
                                                          11/10/94

 --- By Jarno 'Jarnis' Kokko (jarnis@mits.mdata.fi) ---
 --- Revised by Eugene 'Jack Ryan' Moon (jackr@engin.umich.edu) ---

 This FAQ is copyrighted (c)1994. All rights reserved.
 It may not be published in any non-electronic media without permission
 from Eugene Moon (jackr@engin.umich.edu). Electronic distribution in
 non-altered form is permitted. Also, please do not make money out of
 this work by selling printouts. Thank you.

   SEGA, Daytona USA, and Virtua Reality are trademarks of SEGA
   Enterprises, Ltd. Daytona USA is a registered trademark of
   International Speedway Corporation and licensed to Sega Enterprises,
   Ltd., by NASCAR Properties. All copyrights and trademarks are owned
   by their respective owners, and no infringement is intended.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Version history
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  v. 0.2  - First public version. No expert track guide yet due to 
            lack of expertise on that track. Some bugs in numeric
            data, as all was written from memory.

  v. 0.6  - Expert track guide's preliminary version added. Some Easter
            eggs added. Some numeric data added and/or tuned. Records
            section added

  v. 0.81 - Speeds given in both English and Metric system. Course
            guides expanded. Easter egg section updated. Tips section
            expanded.

  v. 0.85 - Info on additional uses of the buttons added (VR and Start
            buttons). Course guide expanded with info for more Advanced
            drivers. Replacement initials added (used during Name Entry
            after a record run). More Easter eggs added and updated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The writers of this FAQ would like to give thanks to:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

 - SEGA, AM2, and Martin Marietta Corp.
   For a near-perfect driving experience.

 - Ronald T. Griffith (srcec@westminister.ac.uk)
   For information on the slot machine and pit lane pass Easter eggs.

 - Kalle 'Blitzer' Kataja (blitzer@prime.mdata.fi)
   For some major typo-busting.

 - Marvin Yagoda (owner of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum)
   For running the best place to play Daytona USA in Michigan and for
   supplying information on the slot machine time extension.

 - Joseph Harpe (thoreau@umich.edu)
   For editing newer versions of this FAQ sheet.

 - ROB at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
   For some really intense (and fun) competition over the summer.

 - CLS, OJ, PS., and especially JOE at Pinball Pete's in Ann Arbor
   For setting the record times that kept me playing, practicing, and
   improving.

 - Andy Eddy (vidgames@netcom.com)
   For running the best place to get FAQs for all the latest games.

 - Galen Komatsu (gkomatsu@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu)
   For supplying a large amount of info.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)  What is Daytona USA?
(2)  General guidelines for getting started with Daytona USA
(3)  General driving tips
(4) Detailed course guides
     (4.1) Beginner track
     (4.2) Advanced track
     (4.3) Expert track
(5)  Easter Eggs
     (5.1) Slot machine time extension - Beginner track
     (5.2) Loss of sponsor sign - Advanced track
     (5.3) Upside-down statue of Jeffry - Expert track
     (5.4) 'Breakdancing statue of Jeffry' - Expert track
     (5.5) Giant seagull
     (5.6) Off-road abort
     (5.7) Going in reverse
     (5.8) Passing through pit lane
     (5.9) Replacement initials
(6)  Game specifications
(7)  Upcoming features
(8)  Feedback
(9)  FAQ updates (where can I get them?)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (1) What is Daytona USA?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

   What's it like powering a 750+HP NASCAR stocker around Daytona's
   high-bank turns? Or drafting inches off the car ahead of you at 200+
   MPH? Daytona USA(tm), Sega's newest Virtua Reality racing game,
   provides all the adrenaline pumping thrills of world class stock car
   racing. With its industry leading 32-bit three-dimensional polygon
   graphics and some nifty audio/mechanical systems, Daytona USA(tm)
   supplies everything but the smell of the pits.
                                    (excerpt from an ad for Daytona USA)

Daytona USA is a stock car racing game made by Sega using a brand new,
state-of-the-art Model 2 polygon engine board. It represents the
culmination of their efforts to create a simulation game with ultra-
realistic graphics. It was created by the same people who did Virtua
Racing, Virtua Fighter and a bunch of older Sega games, collectively
known as AM2, or Amusement Machine division #2. Daytona USA's texture-
mapping technology (300,000 polygons per second) was developed in close
cooperation with Martin Marietta Corp. (a U.S. defense contractor), one
of the world's leaders in military simulation know-how and experience.
Daytona USA also features realistic car handling and a V.R.-system that
allows the player to select his viewpoint from among four available. The
game comes in two forms: a deluxe edition with a 50-inch screen and a
twin version with two 26-inch screens. Up to four of the twin-screen
versions can be linked for simultaneous 8-player action. To get the most
out of this excellent amusement machine, read on...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (2) General guidelines for getting started with Daytona USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Familiarize yourself with the cockpit. Good driving position is very
  helpful in this game, so be sure to set the seat comfortably. You want
  to be able to reach the gas pedal, brake pedal, and the shifter (if
  you're using the manual transmission) easily. If you're unsure of
  where to set the seat, one method is to sit back in the seat with your
  shoulders against the seatback. If you then fully extend your arm, you
  should be able to lay your wrist on top of the steering wheel. Unlike
  Ridge Racer by Namco, Daytona features a 'low to the ground seating'
  design that places your feet at almost the same level as the seat.
  This allows you to operate the pedals easily without straining your
  legs. Also, unlike Ridge Racer, the manual transmission in Daytona is
  clutchless. Shifting is done simply by moving the shifter from gear to
  gear. Finally, the pedals on Daytona are *not* 'on/off'. They use
  potentiometers to determine how far down the pedal's been pushed (this
  was also the case with Hard Drivin' and Race Drivin' by Atari Games),
  and just slamming the pedals to the floor is not the way to get good
  times.
NOTE: If the pedals feel unresponsive or far too sensitive, talk to your
  operator. The potentiometers can be maladjusted or broken. If you
  can't accelerate at all even with the pedal to the floor or your gas
  pedal acts like it's been slammed to the floor when you press it
  extremely lightly, it's time to see your operator's tech people.
  Expensive games should be maintained well. You are PAYING for it.

* During your first few games, try out the V.R.-buttons and choose your
  favorite viewpoint (the V.R.-buttons are found, along with the Start
  button, to the right of the steering wheel on the large-screen version
  and to the left of the wheel on the twin-screen machine). Playing with
  different viewpoints all the time makes learning much harder so play
  around with them for a few games and choose the one that you like
  best. In the following descriptions:
    * describes the location of the 'camera' used for the viewpoint.
    + describes plusses to each viewpoint.
    - describes minuses.
  The following notes are just IMHO, so no flames or jihad type
  reactions to them, please!

 1 - Inside the car.
     * Camera is located on the front edge of the hood of the car.
       The camera is on the same level as the driver's eyes, so this is
       what the driver would see if he were sitting on the bumper of
       the car. :)
     + Sensation of speed is greatest with this view to due to
       viewpoint's closeness to the roadway. This view also gives a
       panoramic view of the road and passing scenery which adds to the
       sensation of speed.
     - Car is not visible in this viewpoint, so there are no reference
       points for judging how close you are to other cars. Also, it is
       impossible to determine how much damage the car has taken. The
       scenery can be somewhat distracting if a driver's concentration
       is broken. Also, spinouts in this view can be troublesome for the
       novice driver.

 2 - Above car's roof.
     * Camera is located in the roof of the car directly above the
       driver (roof itself is erased for visibility).
     + Hood of the car is visible in this view giving you some
       indication of how much damage you've done to the car. Also, the
       presence of both the hood and a portion of the dashboard make
       this viewpoint more natural-looking. The hood gives you a visual
       reference point when you're sliding the car around corners and
       when you're trying to pass other cars without coming into
       contact with them.
     - Spins can be somewhat disorienting in this view also. It isn't
       possible to determine how much damage you've done to the wheels
       and suspension since the wheels are not visible from this
       viewpoint (though damage to the body often occurs at the same
       time as damage to the wheels, such as during a crash, it is
       possible to damage the wheels and the car's handling without
       touching the body work).

 3 - Above the car narrow.
     * Camera hangs in the air a few feet above and behind the rear
       bumper. It always faces in the direction the car is MOVING. This
       is not necessarily the same direction the car is FACING.
     + Easier to dodge other cars using this view as all nearby cars
       (including those very close behind) can be seen. Also, the wheels
       are visible during turns letting you see how much damage they
       have taken from crashes into the wall. Damage to body panels at
       the rear of the car is also easily seen. Smoke from the tires (an
       indication that you're spinning your wheels) is visible only from
       this view and Viewpoint 4. Since the camera always faces in the
       direction of movement, spins aren't as troublesome in this view
       and Viewpoint 4.
     - Because camera doesn't face in the same direction as the car, you
       can't just 'feel' how the car is sliding. It is also somewhat
       frustrating to be able to see that you're heading for a wall when
       you don't have enough time to do anything about it. :) Also, you
       can't easily judge how close you are to a car directly in front
       of you.
 4 - Above the car wide.
     * Camera is located further behind and MUCH higher than 3rd
       viewpoint. Like Viewpoint 3, it also faces only in the direction
       the car is moving.
     + Good for scenery watching. :) Also good for keeping track of
       nearby traffic without looking away to the 'TRAFFIC' display. The
       wider view from this viewpoint gives you more warning if
       someone's coming up behind you. This view gives you a better look
       at what line you're following around a turn, making the tracks
       somewhat easier to learn. Also see plusses for Viewpoint 3
       regarding damage to the car and tire smoke.
     - Makes car very distant. This detracts from the feeling of 'you
       are there' that you get using Viewpoints 1 and 2. Passing scenery
       takes up a LARGE portion of the screen (scenery doesn't take up
       as much screen space in Viewpoint 1 because of oncoming road).
       Also see minuses for Viewpoint 3.

So go ahead and experiment. Everyone will have their preferred
  viewpoint; and, unlike Virtua Racing, Daytona doesn't keep track of
  what viewpoint you used to set your times. :)

* Learn to use the information that Sega provides for you on-screen.
  Just as a good 'scan' is important in real driving, it is also
  important here that you be able to take in what you need to know at a
  glance. The things to keep checking, in order of decreasing
  importance, are:
    (1) your view of things ahead of you
    (2) your speed displayed on the top center of the screen
    (3) the location of nearby cars on a 'TRAFFIC' display off to the
        right side of the screen
    (4) the gear that you're in displayed directly beneath the speed
        (only shown when using manual transmission)
    (5) your location on the track displayed on the map in the lower
        right corner of the screen
    (6) the lap that you're on displayed in the top left corner of the
        screen
  Everything else is pretty much extra information that you may want to
  take in from time to time.

* You should also use the sound to your advantage. The sound of tires
  squealing should be your main sign that your tires are fighting for
  traction. Tire smoke also indicates this, but it isn't as reliable an
  indicator.

* Learn to use the manual transmission. It's rather easy to use
  (especially since there is no clutch), and there are some key
  advantages to using the manual transmission (higher top speed and
  better control of the car while sliding). Beware, however, for broken
  shifters. The shifter seems to get the most abuse, and therefore
  breaks down more often than any other part on the game.

* There are several options built into the game. You can select what
  background music is played during the race, the range of the TRAFFIC
  radar display, and the size of the map. These are controlled using the
  VR buttons:

  Background music selection:
     This is done during the 'GENTLEMAN START YOUR ENGINES' intro
  screen. Holding down one of the VR buttons will override the
  computer's choice of BGM. The songs are:

  VR1  King of Speed     (Beginner track)
  VR2  Let's Go Away     (Advanced track)
  VR3  Sky High          (Expert track)
  VR4  Pounding Pavement (bonus music)

  TRAFFIC display range adjustment:
     At any time during the race, you can adjust the range of the
  TRAFFIC display by holding down the Start button as you hit the VR
  buttons:

  VR2  Short range
  VR3  Normal range
  VR4  Long range

  Map display size adjustment:
     At any time during the race, you can change the size of the map
  displayed on the right side of the screen by holding down the Start
  and VR1 buttons as you hit the other VR buttons:

  VR2  Large map
  VR3  Normal map
  VR4  Small map

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (3) General driving tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Learn to start properly.
  Beginner track: This track is the easiest to start on because you
  start at full speed. All you have to do is make sure you have the gas
  pedal floored and that the shifter is in 4th gear if you're using the
  manual transmission (with the automatic transmission the shifter
  doesn't do anything, so you can leave it in whatever position you
  like). You also should remember that you don't have control of the car
  until the announcer yells "GO!!!" as you're crossing the starting
  line, so turning the steering wheel all the way to the left before the
  start is not a good thing to do.
  Advanced and Expert tracks: These races begin with a standing start
  that determines by how much you fall behind the other cars. Try to
  balance between wheelspin and slow acceleration. Just slamming the gas
  to the floor results only in burnt rubber and no real acceleration
  until you get to 35-40 mph (55-65 km/h), but the worst mistake you can
  make is to watch only the tachometer (gauge across the top of the
  screen with gray, yellow, and red zones that goes from 0 to 10) when
  accelerating. If you slam the gas pedal to the floor, because of
  wheelspin, the tachometer will peak at around 20 mph (30 km/h); and if
  you start switching up gears from there you end up with 4th gear with
  a speed of about 50 mph (80 km/h). Not good. Watch the speedometer
  instead. 70 mph (110 km/h) is the point to use 2nd gear, and around
  110 mph (180 km/h) is the place to go to 3rd gear. 4th gear comes into
  play around 155-160 mph (250-260 km/h).

* You start from the tail of the starting grid, so the main thing is
  overtaking and avoiding computer cars. In general, when you get to the
  point where you can drive around any given track near perfectly
  (perfection is impossible), computer cars become the main problem.
  If you drive like a robot, it is possible to make the computer cars
  react the same way for every race; but since no one drives like a
  robot, the computer cars end up driving pretty randomly. A perfect
  race can be ruined by a few bumps to the back of a computer car, and a
  major accident right in front of you at 200+ mph (320+ km/h) can
  REALLY ruin your day.
A note from 'Eug': A crash does not disqualify you from finishing the
  race. So, don't give up on a race just because you've crashed (unless
  you crashed VERY late in the race or were going for a record time).
  I've managed to drive a race where I crashed once, spun twice (all
  during the first lap of the Expert track), and still managed to finish
  in 1st place.

* Use computer cars to your advantage by 'drafting' whenever possible,
  and learn to pass them cleanly when you start to get close to them.
  Drafting consists of driving directly behind the car in front of you
  so that air turbulence coming from their car allows yours to go
  faster. This is also called slipstreaming. This contradicts the
  previous tip a bit, but it is necessary for getting the best possible
  times. So when hanging close to a computer car, ALWAYS stay alert. 3-4
  computer cars bumping each other in front of you or one computer car
  pushing another towards Wall Contact(tm) should flash 'accident' alert
  in your head pretty quickly, and GENERALLY if you see computer cars
  pushing each other, don't get close. The advantage from drafting does
  not cover the losses from hitting a flipping computer car.

* Avoid hitting walls, and stay off the grass. Braking a little more and
  keeping your foot off the gas is usually better than even slight
  contact to a wall, and it is MUCH better than mowing some lawn.
  Driving on the grass GREATLY reduces your speed, costing you a lot of
  time. It can also make it difficult to control your car. Wall contact
  only drops your speed by 10-50 mph (15-80 km/h), unless you slide into
  the wall tail-first or crash, but it affects your car's handling by
  wearing down your tires. So be sure to avoid both as much as possible.

* Again, learn to use the manual transmission. Using the shifter isn't
  very hard to do (it only requires a little more effort to learn), and
  the rewards are significant. The only good use for automatic gears is
  while you are learning a course. Using the automatic lets you
  concentrate on finding out how fast you can go through certain curves,
  but you will need to adjust those speeds upon switching to the manual
  transmission. This game is hard even if you use the automatic, but
  it's VERY HARD to finish in better than 8th place without the manual
  transmission.
A note from 'Jarnis': When our shifter was broken with 1st and 2nd
  gear unavailable, I still got better times on the Advanced track with
  manual shifting even if I had to lose time at the starting line by
  using 3rd gear. I couldn't finish the race with the automatic
  transmission at all (I always got game over on the last turn before
  the goal). With the manual transmission, I couldn't get to the top
  three that easily, but getting into the top six was no problem. And
  all this without 1st or 2nd gear at all!

* Learn the proper 'line' to use going around turns. The line through a
  turn is the path taken by the car as it goes around a corner.
  Generally, racing requires that you start the turn wide, brake late,
  and place the 'apex' of the turn a bit past midway through the turn.
  If this is done properly, you will be able go faster through the turn
  and accelerate sooner, leading to better times.
The normal method for taking a 'late apex' around a corner is to start
  turning into a corner, and then slow to a certain speed and turn the
  steering wheel some more. Sometimes you must also downshift to slide
  out the rear end. You then push the gas pedal to the floor. If this is
  done right, the car should swing its tail out a little bit and then
  start to slide slowly towards the outside of the turn. This technique
  will vary depending on the curve as you sometimes have to brake first
  (when you have to lose a lot of speed to make the turn) before turning
  the wheel, but for other turns you may end up turning the wheel and
  beginning to brake at the same time.
There will be times when you will mess up slightly while taking a turn.
  You must learn what to do in these instances. It is possible to
  control a skid to some degree with the steering wheel. If you've
  turned too hard and the car's nose is pointed at the inside of the
  turn, opposite lock on the steering wheel will keep the car on the
  track, but it is important that you regain control of the car. In this
  situation you should take your foot off the gas pedal and wait for the
  car to straighten out before you put your foot on the gas again. On
  the other hand, if you feel you're going to 'kiss the wall' on the
  outside of the turn, let go of the gas pedal and tap the brakes if
  necessary (sometimes you might want to tap them several times) to drop
  to a 'safer' speed. A small speed loss is nothing compared to the
  results if you wrap your car around the trackside fence.
NOTE: Reckless braking also has a tendency to put you into walls so try
  to avoid having to use the brakes in the middle of a turn. Do all of
  your braking before the turn. If you DO have to brake while in the
  middle of a turn, use short taps to the pedal. This will slow you down
  and yet keep you from skidding too much.

* Memorize the tracks. You will drive much better once you've learned
  lines through the turns and how to control your car through them.
  Learning the Beginner track should be easy, but the other tracks
  should also be memorized so that you can go smoothly from one part of
  the track to the next. You will want to memorize what lane you want to
  be in at certain points on the track, what speed you want to be at
  when you reach that point, and the driving techniques you will use to
  get the car around hairpins and other curves on the tracks.
A note from 'Jarnis': Fine-tuning your routine to the point where you
  can finish the track requires some practice, but I learned the quirks
  of the Advanced track in just 3 days.
If you're having too much trouble learning a track, try the Time-Lap
  mode by holding the Start button when you push the gas pedal to choose
  the transmission. This eliminates all the computer cars and places you
  in Time-Lap mode. You can then drive each track without worrying about
  traffic (you only need to worry about getting time extensions so you
  can finish the race). This mode is easier to drive because it leaves
  out all those annoying computer-driven cars, but it also takes away
  the 'draft effect' that allows you to go REALLY fast. :)

* Pit stops are useless unless the machine you play on is set to 'Grand
  Prix' or 'Endurance' mode. During the course of a race, the handling
  of the car will change due to contact with a wall and from accidents.
  But the races are so short in 'Normal' mode, a pit stop is totally
  unnecessary. A pit stop uses more time (you must do a standing start
  that uses up a lot of time) than you gain from fixing up the car.
  Basically you can use the pit stop to show off the machine's graphics
  capability, but that's pretty much it. On the other hand, races in
  'Grand Prix' and 'Endurance' modes are long enough that tire wear
  plays an important part and pit stops become an important part of your
  racing strategy.
There's an Easter egg in the game involving the pit lane. You can pass
  through the pits without stopping if you do it on your last lap. This
  is pretty much useful only for trying to avoid traffic. Going through
  pit area will not allow you to improve your times (unless you haven't
  learned the 'crossover' on the Expert track).

* As explained above, your car's handling is affected by contact with
  the wall and by accidents that send your car flipping through the air.
  This is represented by wheels that bounce up and down (easily visible
  during turns at low speeds from Modes 3 and 4). Also, damage to body
  panels is also a good indication that your car is handling differently
  than it did at the start of the race (use Modes 2, 3, and/or 4 to spot
  damage to the body). Your goal should be to finish the race with a car
  that has wheels spinning without wobble and a perfect body.
Things start looking good when, at the end of the game, your car
  doesn't resemble an abstract piece of modern art with bent body panels
  and misaligned wheels. Getting to the finish line on the Beginner
  course (one of the 'dirtier' tracks because of all the car-to-car
  contact) without too much damage to your car is a good sign that you
  are learning something. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (4) Detailed course guides
------------------------------------------------------------------------
     by 'Eug'

This part of the FAQ will attempt to describe how the races may be
driven. Important portions of the tracks and landmarks will be in ALL
CAPS. The techniques described generally apply to both single player and
multi-player racing, though multi-player racing does include several
different techniques and strategies not required for single player
gaming. The listed lap times are those to beat in order to finish the
race. The finishing times are ones that usually result from a good drive
and should end up on the top five list, unless you happen to drive on a
machine with good players. It is assumed that the machine is set to
Normal difficulty. Also, the descriptions assume that you will be using
the manual transmission (more incentive to learn to use the shifter). :)

* For the 'novice' descriptions, I have attempted to strike a balance
between making these instructions simple and easy-to-follow and making
them useful for finishing a race. These are NOT descriptions of the
fastest way to drive each track (the speeds recommended here are sort of
'conservative' and should allow some room for error), but following
these instructions should allow you to consistently get some pretty good
times.
* For the 'advanced' descriptions, I give you my ALL-OUT, RECKLESS,
EDGE-OF-THE-ENVELOPE driving technique. If your driving is faster than
this, then I am truly impressed. ;)

Finishing in the top three allows you to see a congratulations sequence
(victory lap) which looks way cool!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (4.1) Course guide --- Beginner track (Daytona Oval Circuit)
     40 cars, 8 laps     Lap time: under 18.75
                         Finishing time: under 2:25.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a simple oval track with a pit road through the infield. This
track appears to be a version of the Daytona track in Florida, U.S.A.
with a lot of scenery put in by Sega. It is a good place to get used to
the controls and to practice skidding at the MT.SONIC TURN. The FOREST
STRAIGHT is also a good place to learn to draft. Due to the number of
cars, accidents happen, and this is the place to learn how to avoid
surprises. :)

The rolling start makes every lap pretty much identical. Unless you know
how to handle the MT. SONIC TURN, the first lap is usually the best
because you're at around 200 mph (320 km/h) at the starting line.

You'll start in a short straight with grass to your left and stands full
of people to your right. Try to pass as many computer cars as you can,
but drive gently and beware of skidding (you will know when you're
skidding from the squealing sound coming from your tires) which may
result in zig-zagging from one side of the track to the other. Try to
follow the lanes, and try to draft if possible. Do not jerk the wheel to
pass cars. This will result in unwanted sliding which may lead to a
crash. Instead, change lanes sooner with small corrections to the
steering wheel. Generally, avoid the rightmost lane as it's usually full
of computer cars and that's where most accidents happen due to the
right-side concrete wall. For the gentle left turn next to the SPINNING
ROULETTE WHEEL, however, it is important that you start the turn wide to
the right. If you find yourself in the leftmost lane here, you will have
to slow down more to go around this curve than if you're even one or two
lanes over. Unless you're at around 180 mph (290 km/h) or less, do not
jerk the wheel to the left here to go around the turn as you will slide
a little bit and end up hitting the wall. Instead gently turn the wheel
as far to the left as is necessary to keep you from hitting the right
side wall. You will also want to try to steer around any other cars that
may be turning at the same time (you'll usually need to ease right to
pass them cleanly). If you're near top speed (over 205 mph or 330 km/h),
you will have to start the turn on the high side of the track and swing
low 'arching the turn'. If there's a lot of traffic, take your foot off
the gas and slow to around 200 mph (320 km/h) or slower to go around the
curve cleanly. If you find yourself stuck in the leftmost lane, slow
down to around 190 mph (305 km/h) in order to go around this turn
without hitting anything. This will help you to avoid contact with both
the wall and any cars.

After the turn, the FOREST STRAIGHT opens up. This is the place to milk
computer cars for speed by drafting. Again, avoid sliding and try to
keep the speed above 200 mph (320 km/h) at all times. There is a time
extension involved with the JACKPOT ARCH that is explained later in this
FAQ. At the end of the straight, try to be in the 2nd lane from the
right, with no computer cars right in front of you to do the MT. SONIC
TURN. If there are computer cars in your way, *always* line up inside of
them (they can act as a buffer between you and the wall if you mess up
and end up heading for the wall). Never end up in the rightmost lane
with computer cars to your left, and try to avoid the leftmost lane, or
you will surely feel the hug of concrete in the next turn.

MT. SONIC TURN is next, and it's the place where beginners meet the
immovable object called concrete wall most often. Never ever try to
drive this corner 'full speed ahead, turn hard left' style, it will
result in either a spectacular crash, or at best case, a rough touch
which will violently drop your speed to around 170-180 mph (270-290
km/h) and wear your tires down. Towards the end of the race, if you've
been kissing the wall on every lap, you may end up slowing down to
around 140-150 mph (225-240 km/h).

* For novice drivers: 'How to slide through MT. SONIC TURN without
hitting the wall.' At the end of the straight (there will be grass to
your left and the wall on your right), brake to 170 mph (270 km/h) and
turn the steering wheel to the left a little. If you're not near the
right side of the track entering the turn (because of traffic), slow
down more to around 160 mph (260 km/h). Then push the gas pedal back to
the floor. The car should end up sliding around the curve, and you
should find yourself on the front straight already accelerating to top
speed. You shouldn't need to turn the steering wheel very much to get
the car to turn in. You may, however, need to adjust the steering wheel
a bit to stay on the track (sometimes I find myself heading for the
grass on the inside of the track, but I'm able to correct this by
steering a little bit to the right as I'm sliding). Finding the right
time to start braking, braking for the right amount of time, and
controlling your steering are the keys to this turn.
* For advanced drivers: Generally, you follow the same procedure as
novice drivers except for a few changes. First, you don't move towards
the inside of the turn to stay inside of other cars; you plant yourself
in the second lane from the right. Instead of slowing down to 170 mph
(270 km/h), you slow down only to about 180 mph (290 km/h). You may end
up bumping cars, but they usually won't slow you down too much (if they
do, it just means you don't set that *perfect* record time).

If you must enter the turn with computer cars at your side, keep them to
your right. This does not guarantee that you won't crash. Coming into
this turn with too much speed (even with a computer car between you and
the wall) can result in a spectacular crash for both of you.

And then you are back at the starting line. A good sign of a well-
executed MT. SONIC TURN is over 180 mph (290 km/h) on the speedometer at
the starting line. Without any major accidents, your lap time should be
17.50 - 18.50. Anything below 17.50 should be considered extremely
good.

Repeat 7 times to get to the finish line. A very good 8 laps should
place you in the top 3 and let you see the victory lap.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (4.2) Course guide --- Advanced track (Canyon Course)
     30 cars, 4 laps     Lap time: under 49.50 (under 55.50 1st lap)
                         Finishing time: under 3:16.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a hilly canyon course with some neat twists and blind corners,
and newbie drivers do require some assistance to complete a single lap
without too much damage. With this guide, I assume you *do* know how to
skid. Learn it with MT. SONIC TURN on the Beginner track.

>From the STARTING LINE you have a pretty long section of track in which
to accelerate to top speed. Practice your start to get the most out of
it. A good start can cut 2-3 seconds off your time. After the first
straight and a very short S-curve, you find yourself in an extremely
easy uphill right turn. You can stay *very* low, balancing right outside
the grass line, and pass all the cars from the right side (this is kind
of tough to do). Here's the prime place for drafting the computer, but
*beware*! When the turn ends, right after the 1st TIME EXTENSION, you
might be in trouble. The gentle right curve becomes a gentle left curve
and, if you don't drive carefully, you could crash into the right side
of the TUNNEL ENTRANCE (or at least hit the fence before the tunnel
entrance and lose a lot of speed). The short and gentle left turn can be
driven at full speed if you do not slide here (be sure you don't jerk
the wheel too hard or you will pay). You can avoid crashing by moving to
the left of any cars before this curve, or by taking your foot off the
gas through here (slowing down will make your car easier to handle and
make this part of the track less hairy).

* For novice drivers: The TUNNEL can also be driven at full speed, and
drafting is rather easy. The end of the tunnel turns right, and with
proper technique it can be driven at full speed too. After you exit the
tunnel, there is a small left turn and then another right turn. This is
a bit tricky. Make sure when you drive through here that you 'thread the
needle' just right. You must come close to the grass on the left side of
the track *very near* the middle of the left curve. (If you don't, you
will be in a bad position to start the uphill right turn) *Do not* drop
to 3rd gear, instead drive full speed up to the start of the turn and
then brake. Slow to about 175-180 mph (280-290 km/h). You should skid a
bit to the left but never drop below 170 mph (270 km/h) in speed. Feed
in some gas and then continue uphill past the 2nd TIME EXTENSION until
you get to the WINDMILL RIGHT TURN, which is the worst place on the
track. Drop to 3rd gear when the turn starts, brake and turn firmly
right. Slow down to 145 mph (235 km/h). Then *gently* push the gas to
the floor. Too strong of a push will cause wheelspin and *bad* oversteer
to the right (concrete wall time!). You can use higher speeds, around
160-165 mph (257-265 km/h), but you need to skid perfectly with such
speeds. Slowing to 145 mph (235 km/h) is the safe method.
* For advanced drivers: For the turn just before the 2nd TIME EXTENSION,
slow only to about 193 mph (310 km/h). You should not have to drop below
190 mph (306 km/h). Then, for the WINDMILL RIGHT TURN, downshift
straight to 2nd gear as you brake to ~170 mph (270 km/h). Then shift
straight back to 4th gear and accelerate slowly. This should loosen the
rear end enough to get you through the corner.

* For novice drivers: Switch back to 4th gear and move towards the right
side of the track as you start going downhill. Switch back to 3rd gear
and sharply hit the brakes so that you enter the HAIRPIN at 140 mph (225
km/h). It will take some practice to figure out when to start slowing
down. Crank the wheel over and bring the gas pedal back down. When the
downhill straight opens up, it's time for pedal to the metal (and 4th
gear). :)
* For advanced drivers: Stay on the right side of the track as you go
downhill. Look for the tire marks on the pavement that go straight and
then cut to the inside of the HAIRPIN. Just as you hit the point where
the tire tracks cut, downshift to second as you brake to 150 mph (241
km/h). Shift immediately back up to 3rd and continue around the corner.

* For novice drivers: On the way down the hill, move to the left side of
the track. Swing to the right side of the track as you enter the last
right turn, drop to 3rd gear, and brake to ~160 mph (~255 km/h). Never
ever above 165 mph (265 km/h), or you find yourself on the grass again,
with a good chance of Wall Contact(tm). Curve around with the gas pedal
brought back to the floor, and you should get *slight* skidding. If you
seem to be heading for the grass on the left side of the track, drop
your speed in the middle of the turn slightly with a tap to the brakes.
When the straight opens up and you are clear, shift up to 4th gear and
full speed ahead.
* For advanced drivers: Brake only to 165 mph (265 km/h).

Repeat 3 times to get to the finish line. Drive 4 good laps and you are
easily in the top 3 for a look at the victory lap.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (4.3) Course guide --- Expert track (Seaside Course)
     20 cars, 2 laps     Lap time: under 1:50.50 (under 1:57.50 1st lap)
                         Finishing time: under 3:37.50
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This road course is a difficult track with many twists, blind corners,
and sharp turns. You race across both spans of a large suspension bridge
and encounter a number of very tricky turns. It will take all of a
driver's skill and a lot of practice to finish this race.

>From the STARTING LINE, you have a long straight across the SUSPENSION
BRIDGE to accelerate in, and you should just about max your speed and
pass several computer cars here. After two pretty gentle left turns you
curve right, going slightly downhill, to the first underpass with the
entrance to PIT LANE. After entering the underpass and just past the 1st
TIME EXTENSION, you get to a S-CURVE followed by a hard right turn (the
TV-SCREEN TUNNEL).

* For novice drivers: Drive at full speed as you enter the S-CURVE.
Cross over the median to the other side of the track in between the
columns at the S-CURVE. Brake *hard* as you cross over, but be sure you
don't turn the wheel at all (turning the wheel while braking will cause
the car to go sideways). Slow to ~150-160 mph (~240-255 km/h). Then, let
go of the brakes and cross over the median to the other side of the
track before entering the TV-SCREEN TUNNEL. Tap the brake once as you go
through the tunnel and slow to ~140-150 mph (~225-240 km/h) to avoid
hitting any walls.
* For advanced drivers: Don't brake until you've crossed over once and
are getting ready to cross over again. As you approach the median (the
second time), brake to ~170 mph (273 km/h). After you've crossed over
and as you enter the TV-SCREEN TUNNEL, hit the gas and jerk the wheel
left. Rub your front left fender on the left wall of the tunnel. This
should only slow you down to between 150-170 mph (241-273 km/h).

* For novice drivers: After the 2nd TIME EXTENSION there is a slight
hill and a turn right (STATUE OF JEFFRY TURN). Don't be fooled, this
turn can be deadly if you accelerate to full speed. It's similar to the
last turn of advanced track, and you need to skid here lightly and
possibly use 3rd gear. I pass this turn at 145-150 mph (235-240 km/h)
skidding lightly, but greater speeds may be possible. Driving at full
speed will cause contact with the wall around the 'Virtua Inn' sign.
* For advanced drivers: Stay to the left here as you approach the STATUE
OF JEFFRY. Downshift to 2nd as you slow to ~160 mph (257 km/h).
Immediately shift back to 4th gear.

After the JEFFRY TURN, you get a downhill with buildings around you. Let
go with full gas. Let go of the gas as you curve right around the turn
so that you're at about 185+ mph (295+ km/h) as you come up to the left
turn. Drop to 3rd gear and again do a *controlled* braking to 150-160
mph (240-255 km/h). This left turn before the 3rd TIME EXTENSION doesn't
seem too bad, but you need to be going absolutely no more than 165 mph
(265 km/h) and skid around the corner to avoid grass and a possible wall
hit.

Then you get to the 3rd TIME EXTENSION. A straight allows you to
accelerate to good speed, but at the end, you get an UPHILL HAIRPIN TURN
to the right (similar to the downhill turn in advanced track, but even
harder). Here you must drop to the 120-130 mph (195-210 km/h) range and
skid hard when turning right. Failure to do so will be awarded with a
lawnmowing experience. Not good.

Now you should be at the grasslands area, with horses and a bird or two.
There are two gentle left turns and two right turns followed by a left
turn before the 4th TIME EXTENSION. You should go through these curves
at ~160 mph (~255 km/h). Then you are at the underpass with a tight left
turn. Drop the speed. My estimate is to around 145-150 mph (235-240
km/h) with some skidding. It's somewhat hard to do the turn as you have
solid concrete on both sides of the track.

After the underpass turn with slight uphill you get back to the
SUSPENSION BRIDGE. Here's a long straight that's a good place to milk
other cars for speed. At the end of the straight there's a very slight
turn to the right. Here, brake a bit to 180-185 mph (290-300 km/h)
before the turn begins. Then, as you go through the underpass and start
turning right, try to keep the car under control and avoid skidding.
Going more than 190 mph (305 km/h) or a wide skid will result in a hit
to the left wall.

If you cleared the previous turn OK, now there's a pretty long, very
easy, left turn with the text 'YOU CAN'T BE SATISFIED WITHOUT IT - SEGA
MODEL 2' at the left side of the road on the wall. Pass the 5th TIME
EXTENSION near the beginning of the curve and stay at full throttle
until the SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCHPAD comes into view. The easy left turn
quickly becomes a *hard* left turn. An easy way to get a solid hit to
the concrete wall is to keep on going at full speed here.

* For novice drivers: As you approach the LAUNCHPAD, stay on the lane
divider between the rightmost lane and the next one in. When you can see
about 4 sections of fence at the LAUNCHPAD, brake down to ~165 mph
(265 km/h), shift down to 3rd, and nudge the steering wheel left. This
should cause the car to skid. Stay off the gas until the tires stop
squealing and then start accelerating through the easy turns that
follow. It is important that you don't bring on the gas too soon or too
quickly as you will skid.
* For advanced drivers: Wait till you see about 4 or 5 sections of fence
before braking to ~170 mph (273 km/h). Push the gas pedal back down just
enough to stay at 170 mph (273 km/h). Then slowly push the pedal down
the rest of the way. This requires that you have a very good feel for
the accelerator and that the accelerator be in good working condition
(one of the machines here on campus has an accelerator that skips from
idle to 6200 rpm - during a standing start, you can't hold the engine
revs anywhere between those numbers). You should be able to keep your
speed above 170 mph (273 km/h) and accelerate through the turn. :)

After the LAUNCHPAD TURN, there's another S-CURVE and then a very GENTLE
S-CURVE. (GENTLE S-CURVE goes left, then right) As you curve right
through the last half of the GENTLE S-CURVE, stay in the rightmost lane.
As soon as the GENTLE S-CURVE ends and you straighten out the wheel,
start braking and downshift to 3rd. As the LOADING DOCK CURVE (a 90
degree left) starts and while you're still braking, turn the steering
wheel sharply to the left and finish braking at ~120 mph (~295 km/h).
There's room for some skidding on the right side of the track, but if
you are not on the track at the end of the turn, a nice wall awaits you.

Then it's a nice easy uphill right turn to the starting line without
further problems. Repeat once to get to the finish line. Two good laps
should put you in the top 3 for a look at the victory lap.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (5) Easter eggs
------------------------------------------------------------------------

 (5.1) Slot machine time extension - Beginner track

You can play with the slot machine in the forest straight by pressing
the Start button. Each press stops one wheel. On the top of the machine
it says:

777 = 1.000.000.000
Casino in Paradise

If you don't have an assistant to do the slot machine for you, stopping
one spinning wheel per lap usually works pretty well. By getting one of
the following combinations (it must be centered perfectly), you can get
more time:

  Three 7s       = 7 seconds
  Three BARs     = 5 seconds
  Three cherries = ? seconds

 (5.2) Loss of sponsor sign - Advanced track

You will notice on the map that there is a road near the starting line
that leads down and to the left. You can drive down this road (it's in
line with the entrance to the pit road) to a short tunnel dug into the
cliff face. At the end of this VERY SHORT tunnel is a sign that says:

                          CONGRATULATIONS
                           You Just Lost
                           Your Sponsors!

NOTE: You do not get a Time Extension for going to see this sign, so we
recommend that you go 'sight-seeing' only if you have time left over at
the end of a race or if you've totally given up on finishing.

 (5.3) Upside-down statue of Jeffry - Expert track

To do this trick, you must drive around the track backwards (it's
easiest to do this in Time Lap Mode). During your second (and final)
lap, the statue will be upside-down. The best way to get a good look at
the statue is to drive past it (during your 2nd lap) to the nearby time
extension, and then turn around to observe at your leisure.

 (5.4) 'Breakdancing statue of Jeffry' - Expert track

To see this, you must come to a complete stop in front of the statue of
Jeffry. When you're stopped, hit the Start button several times. Jeffry
will jump through several different frames (he should spin around once,
spin around upside down, and then return to normal).

 (5.5) Giant seagull - Expert track

To do this trick, you must get past the hairpin leading to the area with
the horses and seagulls. Hit the Start button as you're driving up the
straight *right after* the hairpin. When you reach the top of the hill
(you should be approaching the horses), the seagull that flies over the
track should be much larger than normal. Be sure you don't go off-road
here as pressing the Start button while on the grass will invoke the
'Off-road abort' explained below.

 (5.6) Off-road abort

This is a feature similar to the Off-road abort from Atari's Race
Drivin'. Hitting the Start button while you're on the grass returns you
to the road, but it reduces your speed to 0.

 (5.7) Going in reverse

If you feel you've mastered the tracks to the point where they're no
challenge to you, here's something to make the game somewhat interesting
again. You can turn around and go around the track backwards and STILL
EARN time extensions. But be sure you start running backwards right
after you've passed the Starting Line Time Extension (meaning you can
turn around on any lap during the race - but be sure you turn around
right after you pass the Starting Line time extension). All the Time
Extensions on the track are reset at the beginning of each lap allowing
you to gain time running forwards or backwards.
NOTE: It is easier to finish a 'backwards' race if you've set the
machine to Time Lap Mode and if you turn around at the start of the race
(there is no need to cross the starting line at the start of a race to
run a backwards race).

 (5.8) Passing through pit lane

You can pass through the pits without stopping if you do it during your
LAST lap. This trick works on the Beginner and Expert tracks only. It
really isn't useful except to avoid driving through heavy traffic. It
will, however, help you improve your time on the Expert track if you
haven't learned to do the 'crossover' maneuver yet.

 (5.9) Replacement initials

The initials below play bits of music from the following games:

H.O Hang On             S.H Space Harrier       O.R Outrun
A.B Afterburner         P.D Power Drift         V.R Virtua Racing
V.F Virtua Fighter      SHO Super Hang On       SMG Super Monaco GP
G.F Galaxy Force        R.M Rad Mobile          S.C Stadium Cross
EXN Exhaust Note        S.F Strike Fighter      GLC G-LOC
TOR Turbo Outrun        ORS Outrunners          GPR GP Rider
F.Z Fantasy Zone        E.R Enduro Racer        SDI SDI
QTT Quartet             VMO Vermillion          T.B Thunderblade

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (6) Game specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deluxe edition:
 Width:  113.2 cm, 44.57 in
 Depth:  282.8 cm, 111.35 in
 Height: 186.3 cm, 73.34 in
 Weight: 375kg, 826.72 lbs.
 Power consumption: AC 110~240V, 725~740W
 Monitor: 50 inch Rear Projection TV.

Twin-screen edition:
 Width:  163.2 cm, 64.25 in
 Depth:  161.7 cm, 63.66 in
 Height: 181.4 cm, 71.41 in
 Weight: Approx. 475kg, 1047.19 lbs.
 Power consumption: AC 110~240V, 1030~1152W
 Monitor: two 26 inch TVs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (7) Upcoming features
------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are working on adding the following to future versions of the FAQ:
 (1) updated info reflecting changes made for the twin-screen game
 (2) JPEG files containing a cover page & a track map/guide
 (3) an 'Ask the Crew Chief' section for diagnosing driving problems
 (4) an information section explaining racing techniques and terminology

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (8) Feedback
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Additional hints? Easter Eggs?
Better descriptions for the track guides? Send e-mail to either:

   jackr@engin.umich.edu
           or
   jarnis@mits.mdata.fi

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (9) FAQ updates (where can I get them?)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

 The latest version of this FAQ can be found in Andy Eddy's video game
 FAQ server via FTP.

   (1) FTP to 'ftp.netcom.com'
   (2) login as 'anonymous'
   (3) use your e-mail address as your password
       i.e. jackr@engin.umich.edu
   (4) change to the '/pub/vidgames/faqs' directory
   (5) get the file called 'daytona.faq'

 You may also obtain a copy of this FAQ by sending an e-mail request to
 either:

    jackr@engin.umich.edu
            or
    jarnis@mits.mdata.fi

 New versions will also be posted to rec.games.video.arcade
 when released.





