NR2003 Textures

I've recently begun to work on modding the now 15 year old Nascar Racing 2003 Season. All the textures are sub-HD, so I've decided to try and bring the game into the modern era as best I can.

The screenshot shows an in-progress asphalt texture for Michigan International Speedway. You can see the fine detail in the texture, including the asphalt crack and darkened groove. The groove itself is a separate texture, applied with some game magic. I went through countless iterations to figure out how to get the desired look of tire buildup.

The second attachment shows my first released track — Chicagoland Day and Night. Much of the work that went into the environment was creating the illusion of light sources. The engine is older and doesn't produce full-world shadows. The billboards in particular are all shaded inside the texture to help them recede and enhance the night effect.

This will likely be the only Dribbble shot I post of this work, but it's been incredibly rewarding to see such an old game come back to life.