It was sometime in December of 1999 when I ran across a youngster who went by the name, "DMS_Fila". SLO hadn't been dreamed up yet, however, the people who comprised the original members of the team raced together during that time. Fila became one of them (as well as my very good friend), and after DMS ceased to exist, he traded in his long-time team friendship status for the nice fitting SLO outerwear he sports today. There - that's the short version of Fila's MTM life story.
His track "SLO Mountains" is without question his best work to date. He pulled out all the stops when he created that baby. Still, its layout is typical Fila: death defying angles and treacherous turns. Oh hey, they're all very learnable & makeable, but if you're not on your game, your truck will be in need of some serious bodywork after you've run a few laps!
Hehe - unfortunately Fila has learned that there are two sides to making such a great track: initially he was praised and commended by his friends/teammates for cranking out a track which is nothing short of a masterpiece. The other side of the coin is, even though the dust has long since settled where "SLO Mountains" is concerned, everything he makes from here on in will be compared to that one track.
I'm happy to report that with Fila's Adventure he's left little room for doubt that he can not only still come up with great tracks, but he can also do it by employing a rather drastic departure from his typical style. That to me is the mark of pro track maker...and Fila is definitely that!
This one is laid out in a shallow wooded area with snow-covered mountains flanked by a mild sprinkling of houses. I'm guessing the community is definitely big into MTM 2 with all the billboards placed throughout
, but hey, that's my kind of town! The few pieces of construction rigs lying around denote that future growth is pending; probably building an MTM stadium...that's my guess, anyway.
The track is just under 4 min long for a good lap, and unlike some of Fila's past creations, this one has a relatively easy layout. Oh hey, you still have to know how to drive and execute some basic moves, but Fila's Adventure constitutes a rather huge departure from his norm. The best thing about it though was his ability to pull it off without sacrificing fun, and this one is definitely that and more. The flow of it is smooth and consistent; there’s not one spot where you nearly come to a dead stop to make a turn or anything of the like. There are several nice, subtle elevation changes, and to keep people on their toes, he tossed in metal covered platform where you're forced to slide (a lot!) into a left-hand turn. It's no walk thru the park hitting it just right, but when you do, it's a great feeling.
The road texture is dirt...probably closest to what you see in the stock track, "Excavation", but not quite as slippery. It’s great stuff to race on, though - easy on the bones.
He's thrown in a separate music add-on that's well worth the time to d/l. The sound quality is excellent, and his choice is...fitting! You'll most likely recognize it right away, too. I'm not going to give it away; go check it out!
So how does this one compare to "SLO Mountains?" It doesn't...and it shouldn't; it stands on its own merits as one hell of a nice track. I've had the pleasure of watching Fila's growth as a racer-rumbler/track maker up-close and personal like, and he's come a heck of a long way. I'm so proud of the guy... well, sometimes I can't help but get just a little misty!! Hehehe
You did an outstanding job on this one, Fila…coupled with a truly impressive change up. With that said, this one has earned a "Copey Rating" of...10!!!!
[This message has been edited by SLO_COPE (edited 17-01-2002).]
