Grand Prix Legends 25th Anniversary

Its been a quarter century of Grand Prix Legends. Come with me on a journey of nostalgia and reflection and my personal story about why this game means so much to me.
Thanks to the countless individuals who have made this sim what it is!
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[@richyasi7424]

Very nicely put. Those of us who worked on the original continue to be amazed by the incredible content the community has provided for GPL over the past 25 years. To this day my single biggest professional regret is that we weren’t able to actually create the 1972 sequel which did exist at one point, albeit only on paper.

[@jasonmoyer]

I wish Sierra had let you guys do GPL 2 and the CART sim that was rumored around that time. NR2003 was still one hell of a game to go out on.

[@mimodelorean]

omg, that would have been awesome. But as Jason said, NR2002 and even more NR2003 were truly amazing and I spent so many years racing online with it. Being from a very tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea there was nothing about stock car racing back then and NR2003 made fall in love with Nascar big time. I would record races from the 2004 season (I think it already switched to Nextel Cup by then?) broadcasted by the French cable channel Motorsport TV on VHS. Wish I could send a big thankful hug to the whole Papy team who worked on those legendary sims.

[@millennialchicken]

Makes me wish we got a true sequel to GPL. With a bit more of everything.

[@Archangel_exe]

If there was a sequel, what year would you want it to be set in? I'd say either 1982 or 1986.

[@andi36356]

​​@@Archangel_exeThere was a plan for a sequel based on the '72 Season but it didn't get past the design phase

[@OhItsThat]

Anything but esports GT3 cars please.

[@Archangel_exe]

@@andi36356 ahhh riiip

[@jonathanowen8389]

1990@@Archangel_exe

[@TormentorMB]

Many thanks for this video! I am 50 years old, and GPL has been a part of my life for 25 years. You can't thank the developers and the community enough for all they have done with this game in that time. Fortunately, I was able to contribute a small part (Syracuse Track and some steering wheel textures), so I can appreciate how much time and work went into each addon. I can only underline every word you said, GPL was the start of it all for me too. I had never heard of the Nordschleife or Watgins Glen (born in east germany), let alone Cooper, BRM, an H-16 engine or drivers like Clark, Hill or Gurney. I bought my first PC for GPL (with a Voodoo 5 5500 graphics card for better picture quality), my first steering wheel, pedals with a clutch and an H-8 shifter. And I bought a Lotus 49 steering wheel in England to dive even deeper into the sim. GPL has been on my hard drive for 25 years, and still is. Thanks again for the video, your work, and thanks to all the fans who made the game the queen of F1 sims!

[@timonsolus]

Hold on - do you mean you attached a genuine Lotus 49 steering wheel to your sim setup? 😮

[@Peterpeterpeter1199]

Long time not read your name. Reminds me of early 2000 forum times.

[@andreh68]

Oh, I love Syracuse with those damn sticky hay bales. Thank you sir

[@georgbrandenburg7163]

I didn't know I was one of only 200.000 people who purchased GPL in the begining. I still own the original CD from early 1999 and it is one of the few things I will never give away. After passing my final exam at the university I celebrated the effort buing a Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel. It was tough to learn driving those cars properly but what a pleasure when you saw improvement in skill and laptimes. Thanks for the channel!

[@thelittlehooer]

This is a touching tribute to the biggest leap forward in gaming. Twenty five years ago.....Fuck. I'm all dewy eyed and depressed now. I used to practice on this before going to my local racing school, all that time ago. Never managed to share it with anyone, though. GPL is a proper simulation, lets you away with nothing. My two friends were both Gran Turismo fans. It's always worth putting on the Blu-Ray of Grand Prix (1966) at full volume and then going for a blast on GPL. It was also my first introduction to the Nurburgring Nordschleife, I'd waited years to expierience it. Still have my GPL big-box retail copy (Remember those?) bought it on release day. I've been a Dave Kaemmer fan since Indy 500, through all the IndyCars, and NASCARs. Never had the motivation or energy for iRacing, though. I suspect any GPL fan would feel at home there.

[@Sam-hc3zb]

"some guy often cited as the greatest of all time: Jim Clark" As a fan of old F1, this made me chuckle, thanks! lol

[@maza19]

I would love an early 90s F1 sim. The backmarkers with pre qualifying, the top 6 points, the unreliable cars that could fail at any moment, the powerslides. It was a completely different sport

[@jasonmoyer]

1989 would be an awesome Grand Prix Legends type sim.

[@convarHUN]

@@jasonmoyer 1990 (that year also 4 teams had a Grand Prix winning car: McLaren (6 wins), Ferrari (6), Williams (2), Benetton (2)), 1991 (Senna vs. Mansell/McLaren-Honda vs. Williams-Renault), 1993 (the last year of "space technology", such as. ABS, traction control, active suspension, so with cars that were the pinnacle of evolution up to that point), 1995 (Schumacher vs. Hill/Benetton vs. Williams), and 1997 (one of the most balanced and competitive fields in the history of F1, the cars of 5 teams were capable of almost exactly the same pace, as follows: Williams-Renault, Benetton-Renault, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Jordan-Peugeot).

[@ronrogers1921]

I bought GPL the day it came it and never had touched a computer before that. Spent years trying to go negative and finally did after 8 years. Best memory was a race on VROC against Alison Hine at Monza. I'm 65 now and still have GPL installed on my latest gaming computer. Had many Sunday morning sportbike rides on Ortega Hwy in So Cal. trying to keep up with Dan Gurney on his Alligator motorcycle. He had so many great storys about his F1 racing and the Gurney Eagle that he drove to victory at Spa in 67.

[@FatswellSmart]

I would just like to thank you for aknowledging my uncle jim as the greatest of all time. the older generation of my family, the ones who actually knew him when he was alive were in utter disbelief when i casually mentioned at supper that his name is revered and still mentioned regularly in the online racing world as the best to ever do it. i had a similar experience growing up around pictures of him but never until vr and ac did i truly understand how absolutely mad he must have been to drive those things the way he did with no setup changes ever and generally only one or two practice laps.

[@daren42]

❤

[@jbudgie]

Jim Clark was the greatest.

[@John-k6f9k]

There's a statue of Jim Clark in the village of Kilmany in Scotland not too far from where I live. I've walked there a few times.

[@dashy90210]

Jake you didn't have to slap me in the face with the realization that a 'GPL2023' would include a season as recent as 1992, but I would be excited as can be for something like that! Cheers to 25yrs of this beauty and here's to maybe 25 more

[@TheJamesEarly]

I had a similar journey but with F1 Challenge 99-02. It's great to know these old sims still inspire to this day

[@TheOneEyesView]

I worked that game over as well...thanks for reminding me of it.

[@ntl9974]

Does it have historic race series modded in?

[@LupinxJigenTTV]

You're not kidding about the difficulty, when I tried it out I spun out all over Watkins glen. So many great mods! Would love to see Richie Axelson do another season!

[@timonsolus]

1966 season is still in progress...

[@JURacing]

this is incredible...you are telling exactly MY story...right down to shelving the game at first and later coming back with a Logitec Momo. My passion for this era of racing began with Grand Prix Legends and never ended up to this day. You can say it really changed my life. May sound bold, but isn't. Thank you Jake for this amazing video.

[@mimodelorean]

that's where it all started for me. Back in 2001 a vg magazine would include GPL for free on that issue. You could pick either the magazine alone or magazine + complementary game (usually they were games released 2-3 years prior). I picked the magazine only, paid and walked off. I started flipping the mag as I was walking and on the first pages there always was an intro for the complementary game for that given month. I slowed down and eventually stopped and looked at those cars....realistic sim that was hard to master.... I walked back to the newsagent and asked if I could give it back and take the issue + cd. She was reluctant and I said "hey no worries if it's not possible" ... I was easy about it, she could have said no and would have been totally fine. Then she handed me the cd issue and I gave the non cd issue back. What followed were 7 years of hard racing, studying race car physics books, trying Gerger Huttu' insane setups, enldess online races via 56k modem, building a DIY racing seat out of my dad's crashed Sierra Cosworth's Recaro seat, Nascar series (only Papyrus obvs), Logitech's Momo was the king of wheels,, buying the the very first race sim Kunos did called Netkar (superb physics but very buggy back then) who's the same person who would have created Assetto Corsa many years later, that wonder that Power & Glory was where you needed both GTR2 and GT Legends in order to install it. 12 hours of Daytona with my team mates at Team7 using rFactor which was the only sim back then allowing online pilot swaps and so so so much more. And GPL on top of all of this. The GranDaddy of all sims. I clearly remember the adrenaline of nailing a proper, subtle 4 wheel drift at curva grande in Monza as you shifted down 1 gear so that rear would start sliding ever so slightly and pointing the front end towards the apex for the first time. You really needed (especially considering how rudimentary wheels & pedals were back then) to develop very sensitive hands and feet in order not to spin at every corner and driving GPL (along with the other Papy sims) for so long surely has contributed developing my real driving skills and made me a safer driver. More than once I wondered if the newsagent lady said no back in that day. Long Live GPL and the all the people involved into keep it alive and preserved.

[@RaceSimCentral]

Stuff like this makes me wish I had a do-over on life sometimes. Such a special time.

[@MikkelGramHansen]

I wouldn't change a thing old friend :)

[@sidm3300]

The cars were virtual, but the racing was real. Absolutely loved GPL and made many on-line friends. Thank you Papyrus.

[@chrisbloom382]

Great tribute to such a great sim, a real trailblazer in realism. I bought it in a sale in mid 99 and at first was so frustrated when it was only running at 4fps on my brand new pc. I spent the next couple of months spending every spare penny I had upgrading my pc to handle the game and then when I got it running the spending continued buying a wheel, bigger monitor and upgrading just about each and every component to get a few extra frames per second. I estimated that I ended up spending about three times the price of the original pc in the following year or so, just so I could play GPL. I was in a few online leagues and I remember one Pro Long F2 race at the Nordschleife. I practiced everyday for weeks and ended up winning by two and a half minutes. I was so proud of that win. I literally played GPL every moment for two and a half years, then a change of job made it difficult to race in some of the leagues I was in and I slowly lost interest. NR2003 came along and reignited the flame for a while and there were a few other sims like GTR and GT Legends but none had the same seat of the pants feeling that GPL gave me. Only in 2019 did I really get back into serious simming again through Assetto Corsa and then AMS2, ACC, RF2, DR2.0 etc. Now I'm doing more online racing than ever. Thanks for all you do Jake and bringing back those memories.

[@fiveride]

thanks for the lovely tribute, gpl was a wonderful introduction of the bravery of those fearless gents a generation before me. ignited my passion for racing games, and formula 1 as well.

[@the.bavarian]

I have kind of a similar story about GPL at the very beginning, although it ended differently for me: I found out about it in a games magazine as a kid. It looked so nice and intriguing, so I got it purchased by my parents for me (a big box version for full price shortly after release), tried playing it with a keyboard and a cheap wheel. It was waaaay to difficult for me and I was too young. So I put it in the shelf. It still sits in the same shelf at my parents home, collecting dust. I never tried to get back into it, and my love for proper simracing started after my "arcade" and "simcade" years with Live for Speed, a G25, and then, finally, with rF1.

[@cptlatency428]

The structure and quality of your videos is truly incredible, I can quite easily say that your one of the best, if not the best sim racing content creator

[@edteach3r]

I share your heartfelt passion for GPL, Jake. The first Grand Prix my dad took me to was the 1968 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. I was only 8 years old and had no idea how historically significant that race would become. I truly cannot remember seeing Jim Clark much as I was simply overcome by the whole experience. It was the beginning of a lifetime of fascination with Formula 1, which continues to this day (even though there is little to recognize of the original camaraderie that existed at that time). Later, as teenagers, we would sneak into Kyalami Ranch and see Stewart, Ickx, Regazzoni, Bonnier, Cevert, Hailwood, Fittipaldi, Revson and so many other legends just lounging around the pool. Those were the days when drivers were friends and we loved them all… they were all gods in our eyes. May GPL continue to live on, say I, and thank you for your amazing GPLaps videos that help to keep those memories alive. I need to buy one of your caps now… 😊

[@edwardburek1717]

Part hard-core sim, part history lesson, all incredibly great. Where else could you race the classic Nordschleife, or the Glen in its original form, or even the criminally overlooked Charade circuit? GPL may have had a massively steep learning curve, but it is amazing that this true sim has all this affection and passion - and I have full confidence that it will still have this love for years to come. You'd better be still here for the 50th anniversary.

[@captaincucumber7461]

In 1998 i worked in a computer repair shop, but had no interest in pc's as such, as i was more into xbox. Another colleague showed me the GPL Demo, which only had the watkins glen track, he showed me a couple laps ( in what i worked out was only the trainer power level) as i had my go, i just happen to click on the grand prix power level for the car, and went on track. And was my mind blown. The next day, i had a full pc and a steering wheel set oredered through work and was playing at home by the end of the week. It became a daily pastime for well over 10 years straight. thankyou for such a wonderful tribute to what got me into sim racing, something i still enjoy today with my eldest son.

[@BaiocoIslandFilms]

I got into GPL just through watching this Channel, ran a "Career Mode" until work and frustration with getting everything sorted killed it mid 1967. Still love it though, Clermont Ferrand in the '65 cars is a lifetime favourite.

[@Keeper1st]

It all started with a post (I think by Randy Cassidy who we did not know worked at Papyrus) on rec.autos.simulators asking what kind of sim would people really like to see. I commented saying off-road trucks (MTEG had been a recent favorite; they did make the SODA sim) or something NOT modern, such as the days of Fangio. That second comment sparked a long thread of replies and enthusiasm, most centering on the days of Clark. I believe that thread is what lit the fire.

[@simonbarrett6059]

I've loved Formula One since my Granddad took me to the cinema in 1968 to watch Grand Prix. Then in '98 GPL arrived and the review in Motorsport magazine said " you can jump on Jim Clarks rollbar and take a lap of Spa" I was hooked! (pre interweb/yoochoob and that.) I'll never forget a friend of mine ( Gran Turismo addict) when I let him try GPL yelling "where's the downforce?" He reckoned it was unplayable!

[@mrdog4529]

Your passion and enjoyment is what really shines through in everything you do on your channel. It's a delight to watch anything you make sir.

[@schrenk-d]

I still think GP Legends is quite possibly one of the first race Sims that really aimed for some kind of physics realism. It was ridiculously difficult. And I loved it for that.

[@streetcat957]

The learning curve was steep. It was like being on ice

[@fredscratchet1355]

Lovely words Jake. Yes I know it's only a sim but it's a very special sim. I remember buying it for my son for Christmas and our pc could just about run it. We spent many happy years playing GPL upgrading the pc as and when we could. He's in his forties now and bringing his young family up and I'm in my seventies but you know I still have it installed along with many other later sims and every now and then I climb into the Eagle or the Honda and do battle with the greatest.

[@michaelrambridge3015]

Thank you Jake for this wonderful video. GPL will be the first game I get when I eventually transition over to pc from console. For years I have waited and waited for a game like this to appear on console. Some game developers have produced games such as Project Cars, Assetto Corsa and Forza with some historic Grand Prix cars and the occasional circuit or two from that era, but they have all failed to deliver the full experience. Since watching and subscribing to your channel, you have opened up a new world in sim racing, especially the historic and retro racing, of which like yourself I love so much and have a passion for experiencing the challenge these guys faced back in the day. So a huge Thank you from me personally to you, and continue on making these great videos, which I look forward to each week.

[@juppschlupp8202]

What does GPLaps do for a living? Your videos are so great researched, commented and inviting to watch, like a really good documentary 😊

[@usurpareltrono]

I’ve commented before about how much of a positive force you are within sim racing, Jake. With so much negativity around, your videos are always such a welcoming breath of fresh air! Just wanted to thank you again, keep up the great work

[@GrimDarkness1972]

I bought the game on the “big box” in 1998, on release. It was such an incredible and difficult experience to play it with a joystick and, as you did, it ended up on a shelf too quickly. Few years late, with internet and the community, times were right to give it a second chance and the wheel and pedals made the magic. I love this game so much and listening to your words has been like listening to myself. Same feeling, same experience, same curiosity for the history of formula 1. Thanks for this video! Long live GPL! ❤

[@thefeebles]

I love that GPL still has a community. Learning the Nurburgring enough to reliably get sub 8 minute laps was one of my favorite video game challenges. My other favorite game was Rally Trophy which simulated vintage rally races.

[@Palaemon44]

I’m a Boomer and was avidly following racing in the ‘60’s so that was my era. A car collector friend of my age only collects 1967 sports cars because it was also the last year US cars had no add on emissions gear. I bought a copy of GPL in the full box at Pic ‘n Save, a discount clearance store for $10, and then a PC steering wheel set and loaded all the upgrades as they became available. I am still playing it 25 years later, and don’t even watch any modern F1 where the race is won by the team with the best software engineering. Deepest thanks to Papyrus for making it open source and the army of fans making the upgrades.

[@btracing]

Thank you for this tribute. Took me back 20 years in time. Wow.

[@Copef1]

I saw this title in a software store in a mall in Seattle when it was first released. I didn't even have a computer at the time. I bought it, then went and bought a computer, then a wheel and pedals. money well spent for sure.

[@dntlss]

This game was\is AMAZING, it was a stroke of genius from the developers to use 60s racing to create the game, those cars are so iconic,just man and machine, no computers, no gimmicks,just pure skill and to use the words of James Hunt "big balls", i still play the game occasionally and it has place of honor in my jungle of icons on my computer screen,lol, thank you so much for making this game. I found this game back in 2002,i was nursing a badly broken ankle that kept me off my feet for 7 months, one day i left the house in search of something to do, bored as i could be, on crutches of course and pulled in into my favorite game store that did trades, back in the day where games were not attached to you via license and as i was browsing i found 2 games that changed my life,one was GPL and the other IL2 Sturmovik,both sitting a few inches apart from each other. Both games caught my eye and i picked them up both,the rest as they say is history,lol

[@f1jones544]

I bought my first PC to the recommended specs for this game in 98. As soon as I read about it I knew I couldn't put off getting one anymore, after not quite being enticed by Papyrus' Indycar and NASCAR games. GPL taught me everything; about PC racing, video cards, modding, peripherals, including how to race without force feedback (please, not again). And with those mods, it's still one of the best feeling sims IMO. There's been countless "homages" that copy this game, I don't think any have matched its depiction of the 67 season in particular, even in spite of its few historical exceptions. So brilliantly ahead of its time.

[@magicofoxiclean9711]

Your channel helped me find the same love for vintage racing. I spent countless hours running custom seasons in AC and it was always so much fun. The cars are like nothing else to drive. And it’s helped me find a deeper love for the really life racing of the time. I’ve collected every book I can find of the time and I can never get enough of reading about racing in the 60s.

[@Luneatik]

Here here ! The greatest game I've ever played and I share so much of your sentiment and enjoyment. Thanks for making a video celebrating this anniversary !

[@Leahi84]

God, I remember getting this not long after it's release when I was 14... Yet another reminder that I'm old now. Lol

[@Toni_N66]

Hats off to GPL , one of the greatests sims of all time! Thx for posting great material as always.

[@DaveMcRee]

When you crash, One word, 'Fire'. Years and years of weekly F2 class racing was awesome. Annual year long national GPL championships, the stories, the legends, the friendships, the community. Smoke Em Up! :-)

[@LemonDrizzleGang]

Thank you for this - I was a GPL fan from the start when the Road Atlanta was the first circuit

[@alexharkettsimracing]

I remember having the game as a kid on pc and just shelving it as I couldn’t drive it with a keyboard. Sadly I never managed to go back to it as console gaming came into my life. I didn’t get a wheel and pedals until I was in my late 20s and by then other sims had grabbed my attention. I will have to go back through your videos as I’m sure you have done one on how to install the game in modern day. This however, is a really nice video 👍🏻

[@retrobutton]

Thanks for the memories. I began playing GPL back in 2003/2004. The modding scene at this time was unbelievable, and still is. No other racing game has this kind of dense atmosphere, and gets me back to those times.

[@JMFuller]

My copy was given to me by my dad who received it from his good friend Bill Green. Bill Green is a racing historian at the International Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen. Bill receives special licensing thanks is the game credits.

[@ElGuilleTime]

When I got this game in it's original cd format, I couldn't stop playing it, then never found it again, until I saw this channel going throgh random search, and thought if only I could download it, I did, but had to get a steering wheel since couln't play it with the keyboard or controller, but it was an awesome game as I used to play it in it's original form

[@MADCATMK3103]

A long time ago my dad drove one of the lower classes of Formula in the 60s. We played this game together, and he could tell me many stories about this time.

[@prorace_type_r]

I found GPL on the internet a long time ago. Y love everything retro, and I guess I was looking for retro cars in racing games and I found it. I didn't know much about sims back then, I thought it was super weird that you could miss a start even, and I thought it was due to how old the game was. I stopped playing it because I found it so difficult but I had fond memories of it. After some years, I returned to it and played the heck out of it WITH A KEYBOARD. I managed to finish races and I think even win the IA. Man, what a game.

[@TripleAlfafa]

In my opinion, the ideal F1 season of the past to model in a modern historical sim would be either 1982 or 1990.

[@hessZL1]

Hard to imagine that this year is both the 20th anniversary of NR2003 and the 25th anniversary of GPL. Arguably two of the best racing sims ever made, created by the same company and having its legacy carried on by the fans even after the developers moved on to create much bigger projects.

[@timothymaynard8017]

My path to GPL was very similar. I remember having to buy a new video card just to be able to run the game. After about two weeks I shelved the game and declared it the Greatest Crash Simulator ever made. A few years later I was racing in an online Nascar league and a couple of fellow races spoke about running an F1 2002 league. I decided to join and the fun I had in the league prompted me to give GPL one more try. I am glad I did and soon after I was running GPL full-time.

[@berca76]

I remember I was part of the modding community back then. My 1st mod (texture pack) was actually Watkins Glen under nick Berca. It should be in the 2004 demo I think. Then I did couple of other tracks (worked on the Cadwell Park with certain Greger Huttu) and some cars. To this day even though I don't play it anymore, this game is still dear to my heart :)

[@pandacongolais]

Thanks for the trip ! I remember 98 (or was it one or two years before ?), first run of the game, Gravis joystick in hand : - hit by the quality of the engine sound ! - hit by the physics, in particular : revving the engine in neutral, and seeing the body rotate, and the play of the suspensions ! I know many people must have done better, but I'm proud of my < 1:29 on Monza 66 in the Lotus 49 in the AC Challenge ! Between both : - 99 first wheel, a Thrustmaster with FF, brake & throttle, and rallye style shifter : a lot of NFS HS and TOCA2 ... - beginning of the 2000s : F1 Racing Simultion and later, F1 Racing Championship - 2008 : G25 - 2013 : AC in early access and so on ... But still a lot of good memories from GPL !

[@dryfesands1367]

Fantastic video. Wow, those Alpha Screenshots bring back so many memories of awaiting release while pouring over the same article in PC Zone again and again and again,

[@Rob35378]

Great video as usual. The last great news is the release of GPL 1967 track pack, this should be the perfect addon for 1967 extra mod, and i guess that probably we could see an updated version of this track pack that include enhanced non-championship tracks, sooner or later.

[@timol437]

Loved this game....would buy it again in a heartbeat.....

[@ericedwards5320]

Thank you for such a great tribute to the greatest Racing Sim of all! I still have my original boxed set that I got in 1998, including the little book about the 67 season and the game. Such a thorough presentation that indicated the thoroughness of the execution. The updates made it more visually interesting and enjoyable, but it was a fine product to begin with. Thank you for telling the epic story.

[@cropstar]

That just made feel old(er). I'm 50 at the end of the month. GP Legends came out half a lifetime ago!

[@Tita_]

Thanks for this video! Brings back memories of my first online races with GPL all these years ago...

[@Tom-zc9gs]

That's such an amazing tribute. I have to thank you, Jake, and your willingness to share your passion. It helped me rediscover an old gem that I thought was lost to time. I first unknowingly played GPL as the Watkins Glen demo when I was about 5 or 6. It was one of my very first PC games and while at the time I hardly understood how to play it, its historic atmosphere made an impression on me. Years later, while growing a passion for both racing and history I started up simracing and I sought to recover that lost feeling of wonder at that old game, so far away in time yet so very dear to me. I wouldn't be wrong in saying your channel has helped me find what I had been missing. Your '65 and '55 seasons in particular helped me gain an appreciation for both driving technique, historical detail and the unique challenges of that era of Motorsport. It was like watching a documentary made by one of those drivers, from his very cockpit. From GPL I recognised that I loved the other Papyrus sims and I started back on NR2003 which I've been playing these past few weeks and which is still scratching that same nostalgia itch that I've been feeling after being fed up by a certain lack of character in modern sims. All the content you're putting out there is great. You and RaceSimCentral are the historians of simracing. Please keep up the amazing job!

[@mikeb.9433]

I first downloaded the demo of the Eagle at Watkins Glen. It took a long time to get consecutive laps without wrecking. Wasn’t long before I saw it in the $5 bin at Staples and picked it up. Changed my entire life. Started me down the road of sim hardware and computer upgrades. Stopped playing GPL only a few years ago only because it’s not compatible with my hardware. My favorite SIM of all time and likely to stay that way until I can’t do this anymore.

[@Aja-nt]

You should check out Jake's tutorial on getting GPL to run on newer computers. It's quite a lot of effort to set up, but well worth it.

[@Dethmeister]

The earliest comment of mine I could find on one of your videos was from 2013. I can't believe it's been over 10 years since I first started watching.

[@39KHall]

The original and still the best. Great video. I was a kid in the '60s and my initial interest was drag racing because my dad had been a drag racer (small-block Chevys in NHRA stock & gas). Eventually I got into Indy and a little bit into NASCAR. I've had GPL since 2001 but didn't start playing it regularly until after Ford v. Ferrari inspired me to dig it back out, get a wheel and pedals, and go racing. If you want a great driving experience -- especially as a relatively new driver -- take a car from the '68 F1 series around the Monza Milano or Monza 10k. It's a great "smash the loud pedal and hang on" proposition.

[@antothemanto77]

I have a similar experience with having an awakening, funnily enough with Need for Speed Porsche Unleashed for the PC. It got me interested in racing, all of the Porsche models, what differentiated them, and realism-based racing. About 8 years passed, and now I’m finally sim racing with a wheel, pedals, and shifter! I would’ve loved to play GPL in its heyday, but even now it’s still such a fun experience

[@Tom_Hadler]

Jake this is a really beautiful tribute video. I love (& to some extent share) your passion for vintage motorsport. The era from 50s to 80s (& a bit either side) is truly unique and will not be replicated unfortunately. The major discovery and innovation is mostly done now. The danger is seen as unacceptable now. Imagine in the future...motorsport could actually die. But the romance & the danger & spirit of those pioneering years will always have appeal, I think. God bless those beautiful people who create these wonderful mods, out of pure passion. This is a passion I share in the form of scale models. I really should get into PC sim racing. Something really special about the circuits, cars, drivers, and teams of that time.

[@unbreukable]

Started with the Papyus NASCAR and Indycar games myself early/mid 90's and I remember trying to play GPL with a keyboard (and it how hard/impossible it was) and how I was impressed with the car sounds back then. Great video!

[@mpichen]

Thank for this video! This was a great journey for me. Grateful game.. great video!

[@LoosMoose]

I got my copy the first day it hit the shelves. I have never found anything that I enjoy more. Sure hope the modders keep up the good work and make more. I grew up with my dad teaching me about racing as he races sports cars and building the 1/12th scale Tamiya models and they were $40 each when minimum wage was .90 cents an hour (working at Pizza Hut) Loved F-1 and the cars and the racing was the real deal. Now, can't watch F-1 anymore it's just ruined but I can still enjoy GPL forever.

[@mfernandezmiami1]

Agree 100%. I bought it on release. Bought a wheel and loved the mods, and it has driven me to continue to simrace till today after a few years off. I would also love a true F1 90s game, the same way I am more interested in up to group A rallye in the upcoming wrc game. Still play pc2, even with its limitations, for Le Mans and Spa, group C but would love a real sim. A game that would do the same for Indycars that would replicate the year the Mansell crossed the pond, I would love. Of the modern sims ACC is fun and hard. If it could be modded or dlc, i woul buy it all.

[@allanjohnsen1034]

You really sold this one to me ;0) My first real simexperience was GT Legends ... I drive primarily Iracing, but I do miss the vintage racecars

[@mgrzx3367]

I enjoy watching you drive. Your voice is very good. Thank you so much

[@carloRX78K2]

I might try this game im actually a Gran turismo 1 and 2 fan and this looks legit enjoyable game to play.

[@fabskimo]

what a wonderful vieo. i share your compassion about gpl since 2001. its simply the best 60s f1 sim ever. driving the nürburgring in an lotus 49 and knowing the course is the bset ecperience you can get period.

[@petrhlavac9529]

Thank you for this video. I'm 40 and I went through exactly the same path as you did. Including the appreciation and love for vintage motorsport GPL has ignited in me. I'm still very much involved in simracing and prefer old school. Basically anything from 30s to 80s. But GPL will always be THE most influential sim of my life.

[@rogerwennstrom6677]

Wow, 25 years!!! Ok, I'll admit the anniversary isn't quite due for me personally: I didnt buy the game until the game was a year or so old and could be found in in a bargain bin, and I didn't really start playing it properly until a year or two later when I had better equipment and more patience, but then it really really really hooked me! Ran hotlaps (did a sub 8 at the Ring - barely) and then got into simracing proper, including a few absolutely lovely LAN races, leading me further into GTR and GTR2 and other sims. GPL also got me a bit into modding, creating a few rim textures (especially some early transparent textures for the Ferrari) and other small mods. Not into the simracing scene any longer, but am certainly feeling the itch from time to time :) I wonder if we'll get such a lovely brutal and uncompromising sim ever again? Really appreciate the video! GPLaps is really easy to listen to :)

[@pickle4474]

Remember the 1st time i played in the early 00s. My computer wasn't good enough for it. What a game though. The achievement of coming 2nd at Monza in a Ferrari was as good as it got for me.

[@ridealongwithrandy]

Awesome!! I have been an extreme racing fan of all types since the late sixties. I have raced all the sims out there. Been driving GPL since it came out, and still drive it now in my 70s.

[@jeffreypostma6832]

Wonderful tribute!

[@ryklatortuga4146]

GPL and VROC - like an oversteering BRM and a dab of Opposite Lock. Made for each other. I remember those early Moon Missions - those dangerous violent launches from Monza after another pile up after some yellow helmet hotlapper got over eager when the flag dropped. Every few hours, GPL's physics engine sending us brave few upward - beyond the clouds, beyond even the skybox itself!

[@Keeper1st]

Ah yes, to this day sim racing - and real racing to an extent - is filled with people who are incredibly fast drivers, but absolutely terrible racers.

[@fermariano7415]

Great video, brings back lots of memories. For those of us who also delve into the world of board games, Heat 'Pedal to the Metal' offers some great fun within the same setting.

[@BerniWan]

I remember it blew my mind the first time I used it, my video card was supported but at 340x200 I think... beautifully impossible with the keyboard. Later, with a joystick, we managed to go sideways and do 2 or 4 laps without crashing. I fell in love

[@ROOKIEROOKIE4]

Thanks Jake. Long life GPL ! 🏁

[@eddieg4544]

Oh my goodness, do I feel old (umm, experienced in sim racing). I started sim racing with GPL in 1998. It was an addiction and the start of my sim racing career, as you might say.

[@MiG-21bisFishbedL]

I'm happy to say I'm one of the few in the US to get this. Damn, even with a crappy wheel, it was fun.

[@MosportRacingSchool]

Thank you, Jake, that was a fine tribute. I guess I'm fortunate that I purchased my GPL in the box. I wonder if Papyrus chose October 6th as the release date to honor Francois Cevert, who suffered his fatal accident on this date in 1973.

[@andrelourenco5291]

That first experience with GPL you described is so relatable. I remember hating this game so much when I was a kid. 😂

[@fiveride]

hated it for a long time as an adult! never got fast, but the ai was seemed really good, and w mods ... us slow guys could dial it back a bit (a Lot)

[@wrinkledm]

Same experience.. only at Mexico City, but I never picked it up again... Thanks for sharing... :)

[@DerrickRG]

Papyrus basically took the difficulty of SODA Offroad Racing, threw it on pavement and turned the speed to 100%, lol. What a SIM. SODA was fun as hell too.

[@fredericlaporte9639]

Ive been playing this game long long long time ago . Like 1998 . Im having a lot of great memories into it . Ive also remember having à lot of fun crashing cars . Playing destruction derby haha

[@gregzielinski]

Great presentation and wonderful narration! Thank you.

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

I remember when I got into proper racing games around 2009. I first stumbled across Race 07's demo, and shortly later across the GPL 2004 demo. Hearing that Lotus 49 fire up at Watkins Glen's pit lane at max volume (as I did not turn the game down when first starting it), I was in love.

[@gameboyterrorysta6307]

I think we need "live service" moddable Grand Prix game - solid physics basics and regularly adding dlcs with various "historic" seasons. As much as I don't like open wheelers, I'd kill for a solid F1 2008 season in sim. But if I'd get to choose any sim to be created - "Touring Car Legends" would be already in production.

[@sgtearache5303]

An excellent look back at an awesome, ground-breaking racing sim. I too had the classic Momo FF wheel at the time and had such a great time racing in a GPL league with a group of people from around the world. It was a really fun era...always something awesome on the horizon from the mod community to look forward to. I was in awe of the gorgeous high res dashboards and wheels.

[@convarHUN]

RESPECT.

[@thierrym6168]

Thanks for this nice journey.

[@RobertFleurke]

Thank you Jake for this wonderful tribute. Indeed GPL is so much more than a sim. GPL forever!