You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers
Here are some of the more frequently asked questions about the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series online racing league, our mods, and our website that will help jump start your way to a win.
Website FAQ | SUPRS Discord Fan Chat FAQ | Computer FAQ |
SUPRS Membership FAQ | SUPRS LIVE! FAQ | SUPRS Newsletter FAQ |
NASCAR Heat FAQ | rFactor FAQ | rFactor 2 FAQ |
General Website FAQ
Q: The text on the website is too small. Can I make it larger?
A: Yes
- If you have a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can increase fonts by holding down the Ctrl key as you move the wheel. If you move the wheel away from you, the fonts decrease, toward you and they increase.
- If you don’t have a mouse with a scroll wheel you can still quickly adjust the fonts on any webpage by holding the ‘Ctrl’ button while tapping the “+” or “-” keys.
Q: Do I have to have an Account to use SUPRS.net?
A: No you don’t have to register, or have an account just to use our website, that’s your choice. The only exception to this, is that we do require anyone interested in racing with us to first create an account prior to filling out our Join Form so that we can open up ‘members only’ parts of the website and grant full access to the pages drivers need.
Q: I forgot my password for the site, can you tell me what it is?
A: No because the site admins do not have a list of everyone’s passwords. But we do have some options for you.
- The site admin can give you a new one. Request a new password by emailing SUPRS.
- The 2nd option is to register a new account with the site.
- A note on passwords for this site and any site-ALWAYS use alpha-numeric passwords of at least 8 characters. You should also include symbols like + or #, etc. and always use upper AND lower case letters.
- An even better way to protect yourself and this site is to use a ‘passphrase’ that uses the above suggestions but substitute numbers for letters. Something like: SuPR5*s74R may be familiar to you as SuPRs*sTAR or SUPRSSTAR. See the resemblance of the passphrase to what would be regular alpha characters spelling out words?
Q: Is there a way to get updates when new stories are posted on the website?
A: There sure is! Look in the right side bar for a box where you can subscribe for updates to SUPRS.net.
A: You can also subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get an email every time we add a new story or “post” to the website.
A: Subscribe via your favorite RSS reader.
Q: How can I share the stories and content of SUPRS.net to my friends and social media followers?
A: Click the social icons at the top, (or bottom), of any of our posts or pages. We use the AddToAny sharing plugin to make it easier for you. If you don’t see the service you use, click the button and click to the far right of all the icons and search for the service you want.
Q: I don’t see any of the social media sharing buttons that you speak of, why?
A: Something on your own device/browser/connection is likely filtering out major social buttons.
Try another web browser, device, and/or Internet connection to see if the buttons appear. Tools like browserling.com or browserstack.com will give you an idea of what other people are seeing. The usual cause for this uncommon issue is 3rd party browser add-on software, (like Malware Bytes, DuckDuckGo, etc), that blocks ads and optionally filters out major social buttons. Some security apps and Internet connections have an option to filter social buttons.
Q: What is the “Fan” tab at the top of the website navigation?
A: The small tab is your one stop shop for everything a SUPRS fan needs or wants to know. Click it and it takes you to our About Page. Hover over it and you can see links to learn more about real supermodified racing with “Supermodified 101.” You will also find links to pages for: Driver Roster, History, (which has many sub-page links), Photo Galleries, SUPRS News, Supermodified News, and our Privacy Policy.
Q: I’m looking for a particular story/post and can’t find it, what’s the quickest way to get to what I want to see?
A: The quickest way is to use the search feature on SUPRS.net. You’ll find it at the bottom of the website. Just type in what you are looking for and it will bring up what you want.
A: You can use the “Post Archives” drop-down at the bottom of the site. Click the arrow down button, and if you have a general idea of what month/year the post you want to see was first put on the site, you can select that time and the page will reload with all the posts from that month/year combination.
A: Use our sitemap. In the right sidebar of most of our website pages you’ll find a menu that can take you deeper into the website. Look for the “SUPRS Sitemap” link and click it or go HERE. We’ll warn you, this is a huge site and it may take some time, but you can scroll through every page and post on SUPRS.net to find what you are looking for.
SUPRS Discord Fan Chat FAQ
Q: Do I have to login to use the SUPRS Discord Fan Chat?
A: No, but:
- Guest: Users can login anonymously by entering a guest name. We prefer you use your real name.
- Discord: Users can login with their Discord account.
- Join: Create a Discord Account, (server), by clicking the Join button in the upper right hand corner of the chat window. Create your Discord account then join our Discord Server at https://discord.gg/mYd3dGU. If you have a Discord account, make sure you join our Discord Server at https://discord.gg/mYd3dGU
Q: Do I have to pay to use SUPRS Discord Fan Chat?
A: No way! We want you to be able to enjoy chatting with other fans and our drivers without spending a dime. Discord does have an upgraded version called Nitro, but we’ve found the free version very robust and suites most of our fans just fine.
Q: What is the Welcome Message for?
A: Our chat welcome message is at the top of the chat. It’s a friendly reminder that we are G-Rated website.
Q: Can I Share SUPRS Fan Chat with my friends?
A: You sure can! If you are Discord user share the invite link to the SUPRS Discord Server to any of your own Discord channels/servers – https://discord.gg/mYd3dGU.
Fans that don’t have a Discord account, (server), can do the same or can also share the url for the SUPRS Live page.
Q: The Chat Window is a little small, can I make it bigger?
A: Kind of. Your best bet is to create a Discord Account, (or as they call it a “Server”), and use the web-based version where you can focus on the chat a little easier. Your other option is to use you enlarge your current view by clicking Ctrl/+ on your keyboard.
Q: I’m trying to chat with other SUPRS fans, but it won’t let me, what’s up?
A: To keep you and all of our members safe, our Discord server and all of the channels are set to require everyone that joins our Discord server, must have a verified email address. Sometimes it takes a while, so please be patient, good things come to those that wait! If you are having trouble try this LINK.
Q: Can I use SUPRS Fan Chat on my phone?
A: Yes. The best way to use SUPRS Chat on your phone or mobile device is to download the Discord App from Google Playstore or App Store on iOS.
Q: What is the Drop-down Menu for in upper right hand corner of SUPRS Fan Chat?
A: We call that the ‘hamburger’ menu and you can use that to browse through our other public Discord Channels where you can learn more about SUPRS including how to become a member.
Q: I noticed a Discord widget on the right hand side of some of the SUPRS website pages. Is that different than what’s on the SUPRS Live page?
A: Somewhat. This is more for the SUPRS Members as an easy way to launch Discord and you won’t be able to read the chat. But it is a quick way to see what drivers are around, and you can see a few of our other Discord Channels. You can also click the connect button at the bottom of the widget which launches Discord. From there you can gain access to the public channels and can chat as long as you verify your email with Discord.
Q: Your Suggestions for Discord aren’t much help. What’s the link to the official Discord Help Page?
A: Hey we’re sim racers, so just in case none of the help on this page makes sense, maybe this LINK will do the trick.
SUPRS Computer Specs FAQ
Q: What Kind of Computer Do I Need to Race with SUPRS?
A: SUPRS is the original PC computer based supermodified sim racing sanction so of course you’ll need a PC (personal computer).
All of our gaming platforms are Windows based although there are some work-arounds for Linux and Mac.
For all of the gaming platforms we race, (NASCAR Heat, rFactor, rFactor 2), we believe that the following PC specs will get everyone rolling.
Minimum
-
- OS: PC Windows XP, XP 64-bit, Vista, 7, 8 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Geforce 7900 GT or Radeon X1900 GT
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: WIRED Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 2 GB available space
Suggested:
-
- OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10, with latest Service Packs
- Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon II x2
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GTS 450 or AMD Radeon 5750
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: WIRED Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 30 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
Recommended:
-
- OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10, with latest Service Packs
- Processor: 3.0 GHz Intel i5 or 4.0 GHz AMD FX
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GTX 760 or AMD 7870
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: WIRED Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 60 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
You will also need a steering wheel/pedal set, and a working microphone for voice communications. Our games will work with nearly all of the steering wheels/pedal sets on the market and you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get going. We have many members using older wheel and pedal sets that have given them years of good service, and we have others that have newer and fancier products like Fanatec direct drive stuff. If you go the direct drive FFB route, you may have some issues, but there are usually some workarounds.
Q: What can I do to make my computer ready for online racing?
A: There’s a lot you can do to make your night more fun with SUPRS including:
- Turn off screen savers.
- Turn-off ALL Auto-Update Features for Windows, Adobe, Java and/or all other like programs, (including Anti-Virus, iTunes, etc). Trust us on this one!
- Turn off Anti-virus and Zone Alarm type software.
- Allow Fire Wall to let NASCAR Heat, rFactor, and rFactor2 to bypass it.
- Use End-It-All, Game Booster, Razer Cortex or similar software to turn off programs that you might not know are running in the background.
- Use AdAware, Iobit Advance System Care, Spybot, Malwarebytes or similar software to remove malicious spyware.
- Defrag your hard drives at least once a month.
- Remove, or move to a folder off the desktop, all icons appearing on the desktop.
- Remove and/or turn off wall paper, Windows themes.
- Make sure you are running the latest drivers for your video card. Windows updates will also help. (hint: DriverBooster from iobit.com is a good way to stay up to date).
- Clean the dust from inside your computer.
- Clean your wheels and pedals regularly.
SUPRS Membership FAQ
Q: What Do I Have to Do to Start Racing with SUPRS?
A: Please consider the following before attempting to join us at SUPRS:
- Register as a “User” of our website-this is done through the Join Application form.
- Become a member by filling out the Join Application form.
- Minimum age to join SUPRS is 16 years old.
- SUPRS does not allow convicted felons to participate.
- Read, understand and abide by all the Rules and agree to our Mission Statement and site usage rules.
- Membership donations are non-refundable and due annually according to your join date.
- If you are joining at the Real Supermodified Racer level, you MUST be present with working microphone for first Sunday Night Test-N-Tune after receiving welcome email and prior to first race. Failure to do so will result in SUPRS Membership being terminated. If you are joining at the Real Supermodified level, you must also have competed in at least three races combined in a current, or former supermodified racing sanction or track. Trust us when we say, as a supermodified sim racing sanction with many members having been involved as an official, driver, crew member, or promoter, we have a pretty good grasp on just about every driver that has ever sat in a real supermodified, so don’t try to slide one by. We do not consider the SBS class at Oswego Speedway a supermodified.
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Have a legally obtained version of any of the software and modifications that we may use in order to conduct online races.
- Allow SUPRS Officials access to your computer via Lite Manager.
- Have TeamSpeak 3 voice chat program.
- Have a working microphone.
- Have a good internet connection. Cable recommended. Test your numbers HERE.
- Have some type of controller. Wheel & Pedals recommended.
- Have a good computer & graphics card-Check to see if you can run our games HERE.
- Install and understand how to use SUPRS Sync.
- Read all game manuals. Understand how NASCAR Heat, rFactor, and rFactor 2 work.
Q: Do I have to make a donation to race in your league?
A: Yes if you want to race for points and awards.
Through special races, the types of prizes awarded, and cash donations, SUPRS strives to give back to the drivers, teams, tracks, and fans that support supermodified racing. SUPRS will continue to use this venue as a way to encourage more new fans to partake in this great adventure called supermodified racing and to help them better understand the cars, the tracks, the drivers and the people involved with supermodified racing.
Q: I sent in my donation, what should I do next?
- Register a name or nickname with our website when you fill out the Membership Join Form.
- Fill out the “Join” Form.
- Read our “Rules”.
- You will receive a welcome letter with further instructions.
Q: What racing number can I use?
A: Whatever number you like as long as it hasn’t been registered!
- Racing numbers are registered on a first come first serve basis. See what numbers are available on our chart before filling out the join form.
- We prefer two digit numbers but will consider 3 digit numbers and letters as well.
Q: Where do I renew my SUPRS Membership?
A: If you are a current SUPRS Member that needs to renew your membership that has been active within the last month or so you can renew by clicking the button below.
Q: How do I paint a car?
A: Download the templates from the “Downloads” page, (accessible to registered SUPRS.net users only).
2. Use a paint program like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop to paint it.
3. Request a paint job in the appropriate forum.
Q: Where/Who do I send my paint to when I’m done?
A: Send all paints or have your painter send your paint scheme to the SUPRS email. In the subject line be sure to put ATTN: John Davidson Paint Update.
Q: How do I put my paint job into the game?
A: We’ll do it for you! Just send all paint jobs to the SUPRS League Director John Davidson for the next mass paint update.
Q: I noticed on the Driver Roster that some members are listed as “Lifetime” and “SUPRS Core,” what does that mean?
A: There’s a couple of answers to that question, so let’s tackle each one separately:
- To become a SUPRS Lifetime Member, a driver/member must have:
- Become a SUPRS Core member
- Started 500 or more feature events
- Won 100 or more feature events
- Lived, breathed, and exhibited the SUPRS Mission Statement
- Joined SUPRS as a real supermodified racer
- To become a SUPRS Core Member, a driver/member must have:
- At least 5 continuous years of uninterrupted SUPRS Membership
- Competed regularly in all eligible races
- Participated regularly in all eligible test dates
- Regularly, and often made an attempt to help new SUPRS Members
- Contributed in a positive way to the growth of SUPRS through working Meet and Greets, Fundraisers, and group photo shoots, by sharing SUPRS news & updates, soliciting new members, and kept personal grievances towards SUPRS and other members out of the public limelight
- Regularly exhibited his/her desire to help behind the scenes, to give back to SUPRS and not just show up and race
Even then, there are no guarantees that a driver/member will achieve either of these prestigious membership statuses. We do not take lightly, or throw about Lifetime or Core membership status, because it’s something that is earned. Drivers/members that achieve a Core and Lifetime Membership receive certain perks including higher priority in handicapping, more access to the site, more rights in TeamSpeak, help set rules and procedures. Core members are also allowed to have more than one paint scheme per season.
NASCAR Heat FAQ
Q: I keep trying to connect to the NASCAR Heat race server but I cant connect, What should I do?
A: Keep trying, it will eventually let you in. We recommend that you turn off your Anti-Virus software or allow NASCAR Heat to bypass any firewalls or virus software. You can also hit “cancel” as you are in the “waiting” overlay, and the game will sometimes show the server which you can then connect to using the button in the lower right hand corner of the User Interface.
- Sometimes more than 20 racers will be attempting to connect, in that case, the server is full, return to Team Speak for further instructions.
- Sometimes the race server IP changes and the one you have listed in your game is not correct. Always look in Forum for the latest info on the IP for race night.
- It doesn’t happen often, but the server may not be functioning correctly. Sometimes this means it will have to be be rebooted. In this case notify a SUPRS Official.
- Remember, we have backup servers. If we announce that we are going to go to a backup for the night, make sure you have entered the correct IP.
Q: What mode do you race in for NASCAR Heat?
A: Normal Mode
Q: Why Isn’t NASCAR Heat Full Screen?
A: From Bandit via TMS forums: “Be sure to run the Heat Resolution Changer in your NASCAR Heat folder. Select the patch.bin file and select the resolution of your monitor. Also make sure in your Windows Display settings the scale is 100%. If this setting is higher or lower it can affect Heat’s resolution.” Also, we should add, make sure your in-game resolution is set to 800×600. You can find this under the graphics setting in Heat. LINK HERE and HERE for more info on setting your screen resolution.
Q: Can I run NASCAR Heat on a Triple Screen Set Up?
A: Simple answer is not very easily and the fix is beyond the scope of this page. Try asking a SUPRS admin directly or visit TheModSquad.info or HeatFinder.net for a better answer.
Q: Everyone is so fast and I’m off the pace, How can I improve my racing?
A: PRACTICE! Most of our members have been racing online for at least five years. Even though NASCAR Heat and rFactor are older games, they both have their peculiarities, and the more familiar you are with the ins and outs of each the better you will be. This game is like anything else in life, to get better, you have to practice, it’s as simple as that.
- Adjust your wheel setting to suit your driving style. For NASCAR Heat concentrate on the Non-Linear Steering slider.
- If you are running keyboard or game pad controls, it will be difficult for you to compete for a win.
- Average time for a new driver to win is a race is currently around 20 races. Some win earlier or later than others.
Q: Can I practice anytime I want?
A: Yes and no. Offline you can turn laps to your heart’s content. Online however is a little bit different. The SUPRS Race Servers are not open 24/7. We keep them private and pass-worded to protect you and us. Both platforms offer a way for friends to set up their own dedicated servers and as long as your computer is fast enough, you can do that. We recommend that you take advantage of our Sunday Night Test-N-Tune. It’s our formal/informal open test where we run 25 laps at the next three tracks to help drivers get set up for our upcoming events.
Q: I’m in the NASCAR Heat race server to practice by myself but it wont work, Why?
A: There must be 2 people in the server to race. At least one of you should know the commands to administer a session.
Q: After winning a race against the computer AI on NASCAR Heat my game crashes What can I do?
A: Delete the victory.res file within the SUPRS mod folder.
Q: When I race NASCAR Heat offline the computer cars are slow and off the pace. How do I improve them?
A: From Raybee at The Mod Squad
- These mods are designed for online use. No thought was used to run these offline. There is a fix for it and its posted at the Mod Squad website….
- You may have seen it before, but speeding the AI up and having them run your line too,is very easy.
- You’ll want to be running in Expert or Hardcore mode (although Normal works,but doesn’t have the Garage option).
- Simply go into “Test” through the Garage screen and be on the track by yourself.
- Then run some good clean laps,staying away from the walls and going fast at the same time.Make sure you fully complete the laps.
- Once you are satisfied with your lap,and you think it is a lap you’d like to have the AI to run,then exit out of the game and go into whichever mod’s folder you are using,and find it’s “ghostcar” folder.Inside this “ghostcar” folder,should be a new file named like “Daytona_simulation_best_ever.gcf”. (using Daytona as an example)
- Just take and “copy” that to your mod’s main folder,then rename the .gcf file to “Daytona.gcf” (taking off the “_simulation_best_ever” part of it.
- Then go into the same mod and try a race against the AI.They should be running more up to speed now and running the line you laid down for them.
- You’ll have to do this with every mod.
- The reason this is discussed alot,has to do with the tracks being made with certain mods…and not all tracks and mods are fully compatible with each other….until you do what I’ve just described above.
Q: I get an error message often in NASCAR Heat that says: “error : Panic: Out of Memory”. What should I do?
A: The SUPRS Mod is graphic intensive. Coupled with certain high detail tracks you might receive this error. Most car textures for NASCAR Heat use your computers video card memory. If you have an older system with a video card below 128mb, you may receive the memory error. We have found that the systems that receive this error typically are ones with onboard video.
- The first step would be to try and update your video card drivers. (not covered in detail here)
- The second step would be to purchase a new video card with 128mb or more. Prices fall well under $100.00 for such an investment.
- Honestly, if you have a video card under 128mb ….you really shouldn’t even think about gaming in general.
Q: I Can’t install NASCAR Heat on Windows Vista or later OS from the CD. What should I do?
A: Don’t panic!
- Right click the autorun on the disc.
- Select run as administrator.
- For some reason it doesn’t happen a lot with other games, but that should fix the nheat installation.
Q: Does NASCAR Heat have to be installed to the C: Drive?
A: From Raybee at The Mod Squad
Yep….Unfortunately,Heat needs to be specifically installed onto C drive to work properly.
It will also install a file or two into C:WindowsTemp (heat.bin and heat.log).
See,the thing is,Heat old,and it was made before XP came out and before a lot of folks started using additional hard drives. By default,it wants to go to C drive.There’s really no way of getting around that.
Now…if you had a C drive on your PC where you could install it….then it’s possible to install a second copy on another drive (on the same computer of course)…and you can move mods and tracks over to the second drive and edit the shortcuts and stuff…but….it will still be reading some files from C drive (heat.bin,patch.bin..etc).
Unfortunately…that’s just the way it is for Heat.
Q: NASCAR Heat is an old game. Will it run on Windows Vista, 7 and 8 and 10?
A: YES. Here’s how:
Step 1, download all of the files. I start with an empty folder named SUPRS on my desktop, inside that folder, I have 4 folders named Applications, Mods, Paints, and Tracks. This allows me to keep track of changes and updates from season to season. Below is a picture of these folders, and all of the installation programs.
Click Link: http://i42.tinypic.com/m2avq.jpg
- The first thing to install is NASCAR Heat Essentials. Unlike all of the other programs, this one does not allow you to choose where you install it. Microsoft Windows detects the program as 32 bit, and automatically installs it in C:/Program Files (x86)\Hasboro Interactive
- When you have installed that, copy that entire folder by browsing your computer, and paste it into the
Click Link: http://i43.tinypic.com/20ft8xi.jpg
- You may have to allow the installation of some files by choosing Run Anyway, and then confirming that it loaded correctly after install, but start with 1 mod, then its associated paint update and a track. I install the mods, then the paints, then Oswego and test however there is a way these need to be installed…
Click Link: http://i39.tinypic.com/28khabd.jpg
- Install all mods, paints and tracks to their default location, C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat…
- Then either copy the whole folder and paste it in the (x86) folder, or install each file individually in its location by adding the (x86) suffix. Ie. C:\Program Files (x86)\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat…..
- Next right click on the desktop icons, choose properties, add the (x86) suffix to the target, change the icons if desired, choose run as admin, or run as Windows XP in compatibility if needed. I have gotten them to run on my laptop however video is quite choppy, I may have to mess with video card settings, such as unchecking Anti-Aliasing or some such thing, but I have done a lap with all 3 mods on a Win 8 laptop, at Oswego.
Images linked above are also in Gallery below:
Q: What patch for NASCAR Heat does SUPRS use?
A: 1.80
Q: I get this error in NASCAR Heat : “error: Panic: TaskResume: Task” What should I do?
A: Don’t worry, we have a solution
Go here:
C:Program Files-Hasbro Interactive-NASCAR Heat
look for ‘NASCAR Heat.exe’ or NHeat.exe. If you have both, do what’s written below for both:
Right mouse click on the EXE, choose ‘Properties’, then switch to ‘Compatibility’ tab, check the ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’ and choose Windows 2000. Click OK. All should be fine.
Another possible solution is that your screen name in the game is longer than 10 characters in length. In that case, change your name on the start-up screen to a name no more than 10 characters.
Q: How do I reduce the number of cars lower than 16 when racing offline in NASCAR Heat?
A: Assuming you know where your SUPRS folder is located within the NASCAR Heat game ….you simply edit the options.cfg file using notepad in the SUPRS folder. Scroll down to “pack_size” and change the number to your liking.
Got more questions? We’ve got more answers and a great technical support team!
Visit our Help and/or rFactor Guide page for some more specific suggestions and tips for racing with SUPRS.
Don’t forget that everyone can access our Public Forum where there are more tips and you can ask or more information.
When all else fails, or if you just want to reach out for more information or to chat, please Contact us HERE.