Default (track)
Note: This article refers to the track coming with Stunts as default.trk. For the replay, see Default (replay)
Default is one of the six tracks from Stunts' set of pre-made tracks. As the name implies, it is the track selected by default whenever the game is started (and in fact Stunts will fail to start in the lack of a track file named DEFAULT.TRK in the game root directory). Since it is nearly always the very first track a player comes across, as well as being short and relatively simple, Default is commonly used by racers, especially newbies, as a benchmark. Another interesting trait of Default is the presence of two different paths, one of them being substantially longer and somewhat trickier than the other. That design characteristic opens the way for dual-way switching exploits, necessary for reaching times comparable to the overall records.
Besides holding a number of unofficial or semi-official "permanent competitions", the Default track used for a very special ZakStunts race, ZCT79 with the Porsche March Indy. That choice, loaded with symbolism, was motivated by ZCT79 being the closing race for the troubled 2007 ZakStunts season, held only after an unprecedented three month break of the competition. The race, after many successive world record breakings, was won by Ayrton.
Track name
The track file name is, of course, DEFAULT.TRK. It has to be so for the game to properly load it at the begin it. However, there's a very solid theory that suggests that this track must have had an original, more meaningful name.
A just installed Stunts will include a number of tracks that make reference to five of the six AI opponents that the game has to offer: BERNIES.TRK for Squealin' Bernie Rubber, JOES.TRK for Smokin' Joe Stallin, CHERRIS.TRK, for Cherry Chassis, HELENS.TRK for Helen Wheels (this is a reference to Paul McCartney's car) and SKIDS.TRK for Skid Vicious (a reference to Sid Vicious, the bassist from the Sex Pistols). There isn't a track name OTTOS.TRK, which would be expected, for Herr Otto Partz. It is thought that, instead of creating a new track to be the default, at some point, DSI decided to just rename Otto's to become Default.
Alternative versions
The track presented here appears to be the only official "Default" track coming from DSI. However, because of the nature in which Stunts reached each of the community members, some racers have got to known other tracks as DEFAULT, until they came across the originally distributed one. For instance, in October 2024, KyLiE posted a track in Race For Kicks that was used for that month's race with the Porsche March Indy, representing the way he used to play Stunts back then. This is the version he first came to know back in 1996 with his first copy of the game. Cas also published the track that came with his Stunts 1.0 back in 1993, although this one was not used for a race. That one has clearly not been treated with care, but it's been uploaded for historical reasons.
Default records (best, but unofficial)
Please note most of the results here presented were not officially confirmed, and should be taken mainly as reference values.
- Official record (RH, free rules, Indy): Renato Biker, 0:30.35
- NoRH + approximate ISA rules: Argammon, ~1:00.50 (claimed); Bonzai Joe, 1:01.10 (live racing, WSM '06); Renato Biker, 1:01.65 (claimed)
- RH + approximate ISA rules: Renato Biker, 0:56.15 (claimed), closed version: CTG, 0:56.25 (claimed)
- NoRH + approximate ISA rules, long way: (unclaimed?)
- RH + Cheat cars + free rules: (unclaimed?)
Evolution of Default record
Free rules, RH, Indy.
| Racer | Time | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilczek | 0:54.90 | 1999-02-28 | From Lukas Loehrer's site; date is from .RPL metadata |
| (...) | To be retrieved | ||
| Alan Rotoi | 0:38.60 | 2003-01-28 | Submission date to ZakStunts; driven at 2002-10-29 |
| Alain | 0:36.40 | 2003-09-01 | |
| Bonzai Joe | 0:35.85 | 2003-09-08 | |
| Mark L. Rivers | 0:34.90 | 2007-12-04 | |
| Duplode | 0:34.85 | 2007-12-08 | |
| Mark L. Rivers | 0:33.95 | 2007-12-10 | |
| Duplode | 0:33.65 | 2007-12-12 | |
| Ayrton | 0:33.40 | 2007-12-12 | |
| Mark L. Rivers | 0:32.85 | 2007-12-12 | |
| Chulk | 0:32.65 | 2007-12-12 | |
| Duplode | 0:32.55 | 2007-12-13 | |
| Ayrton | 0:31.90 | 2007-12-14 | |
| Ayrton | 0:31.25 | 2007-12-29 | |
| Mark L. Rivers | 0:30.90 | 2009-03-27 | |
| Renato Biker | 0:30.35 | 2010-02-23 |
Best official records available
As of July 2022, the Permanent Competition at Race For Kicks, which holds replays for its laps, has a best record achieved by KyLiE running OWOOT and NoRH with the Porsche 962 IMSA on 26 August 2020. Lap time is 1:15.45. The best official Free-Style record, also from R4K, is actually longer, at 2:23.47, by 1337haxoryt, with the Toyota Sprinter Trueno. As this is far from the best unofficial records, it is expected that, should at some point interest in this track regrow, significant updates would be made in official records both OWOOT and Free-Style.
In [Stunts forum], a replay by Bonzai Joe on 10 November 2015, achieves 1:01.35 with the Porsche March Indy, verified. Reported as NoRH and on verification, found to be "almost OWOOT", only going off-road very briefly at a chicane, this is a very significant contemporary record. On 19 April 2019, Seeker1982 posted two replays. On the first one, he achieves 1:02.30 with a Free OWOOT replay (never goes off-road, but does skip a corkscrew), also with the Porsche March Indy. Ten days later, he posts a very similar one, only this is Free-Style (as it does go off-road briefly at the chicane) and is done with the McLaren Honda MP4/4. With this replay, he completes the lap in exactly one minute. On 14 January 2015, Akoss Poo registerred a 1:02.10 Free-Style replay with the March Indy. On the 9th of the same month, Shoegazing Leo had registerred his own 1:11.80 with a Free-OWOOT replay with the same car. All of the records metioned above refrain from using dual-way switching.
Following are the best verifiable records with their corresponding car, date posted and rules used. Notice how significant the advantage is when dual-way switching is used.
| Racer | Time | Date | Style | Car | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Narl | 0:53.90 | 2024-08-11 | Free-Style DWS | Porsche March Indy | Race For Kicks |
| Cas | 0:58.90 | 2022-07-30 | Free-Style DWS | Porsche March Indy | Race For Kicks |
| Shoegazing Leo | 0:59.35 | 2015-01-10 | Free-Style DWS | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Seeker1982 | 1:00.00 | 2019-04-29 | Free-Style | McLaren Honda MP4/4 | Forum |
| Shoegazing Leo | 1:00.25 | 2015-01-10 | Free-Style DWS | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Bonzai Joe | 1:01.35 | 2015-11-10 | Free-Style | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Akoss Poo | 1:02.10 | 2015-01-14 | Free-Style | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Seeker1982 | 1:02.30 | 2019-04-19 | Free-OWOOT | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Akoss Poo | 1:02.50 | 2015-01-14 | Free-Style | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Akoss Poo | 1:03.85 | 2015-01-14 | Free-Style | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Cas | 1:06.30 | 2022-07-30 | Free-Style | Porsche March Indy | Race For Kicks |
| Shoegazing Leo | 1:11.80 | 2015-01-09 | Free-OWOOT | Porsche March Indy | Forum |
| Cas | 1:12.95 | 2022-07-30 | OWOOT | Porsche March Indy | Race For Kicks |
| KyLiE | 1:15.45 | 2020-08-26 | OWOOT | Porsche 962 IMSA | Race For Kicks |
| Cas | 1:16.25 | 2020-05-12 | OWOOT | Melange XGT-88 | Race For Kicks |
| KDC22 | 1:25.80 | 2021-12-18 | Free-OWOOT | BMW M3 E30 DTM | Race For Kicks |
| KyLiE | 1:36.85 | 2020-08-26 | OWOOT | Ferrari GTO | Race For Kicks |
| Ayrton* | 2:04.65 | 2020-10-11 | OWOOT | Superkart | Race For Kicks |
| 1337haxoryt | 2:23.45 | 2021-06-17 | Free-Style | Toyota Sprinter Trueno | Race For Kicks |
- This Ayrton is the Australian racer, son of KyLiE. Not to be confused with the Argentine racer of the same name Ayrton.
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