Created by Italian game developers
Milestone is the Italian-located Autodromo Nazionale Monza track featured in
SBK X, the next iteration in the Superbike World Championship series racing game. For a good chunk of information and a bit of history on the track, read on. For a visual representation of the track, and the game itself, take a look just below at the newly released screenshots. The game releases on September 28th for the 360, PC and PS3.
For those of you who don’t follow European bike racing [of which I think a few of you might not],
Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the most historic racing circuits in the world. Originally constructed in
1922 [with a team of 3,500 workers!], it has withstood the test of time [with a little repaving] and has garnered the respect of many a Formula 1 racer. In 1990, the Superbike World Championship began using
Monza as one of their circuits.
FUN FACT! We Americans are familiar with
Indy and
NASCAR racing; therefore we’re familiar with
big ovals made of asphalt. The defining features of a track are generally defined by the city they’re in, the grandstands, and not much else. But in European motorsport racing, tracks take on a much more complicated shape, sometimes doubling over on themselves, throwing chicanes out left and right, and certain turns and twists are actually named! Monza boasts the
Variante Ascari, the
Curva di Lesmo, the
Curva Parabolica, and the
Curva del Serraglio.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza is located in, aptly,
Monza, Italy. Right off the
river Lambro, Monza contains gorgeous scenery, and a breathtaking view of the mountains. Due to its location on the north side of town [in
Villa Reale park], much of this delightful panorama can be viewed [whipping by at speeds approaching 200 mph.]
For those not racing, the seating options available allow you vantages of all the most interesting parts of the track. The
main grandstand boasts air-conditioned box seating, allowing you to watch the race in comfort, and to be right there when the flag goes down!
Unfortunately, the track also holds a terrifying
record: 42 men have given their lives while competing on the track. If you include non-racers and non-race fatalities, the number skyrockets to 88. This is a track one must take very seriously, otherwise
dire consequences await.