Hey everyone! I wanted to share a racing physics tech demo Iāve been working on in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade.
This project is still a work in progress and has not reached version 1.0 yet. Iāve been working on it for a long time and have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into getting the physics and other systems working. This is also why I havenāt made a post in about a year. Iāve been focused on developing the project rather than posting updates, and I wanted to make meaningful progress before sharing what Iāve been building.
The car is currently being modeled after a 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, and Iām trying to make the underlying vehicle physics as realistic as possible within MakeCode Arcadeās limitations.
Track and 3D Rendering
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The track is currently being modeled after Watkins Glen International.
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The project uses a 3D raycasting extension with floor and ceiling rendering.
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Iām working on improving the track itself before moving on to other visual details.
Custom Brush-Style Tire Physics
One of the biggest parts of this project is a custom tire-force model. Instead of relying on a basic arcade-style grip system, Iāve built a brush-style tire model designed to make the tires behave more realistically.
The tire system includes:
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Longitudinal slip ratio for acceleration and braking.
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Lateral slip angle for cornering.
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A brush-style force curve to model how tire forces develop.
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A combined-grip system that accounts for the tires producing longitudinal and lateral forces simultaneously.
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A friction envelope that limits the total force a tire can produce.
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Load sensitivity, so grip does not increase linearly with tire load.
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Transient tire response and relaxation.
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Speed-dependent behavior affecting rear-tire grip and power oversteer.
The goal is to make the car respond naturally to throttle, braking, steering, weight transfer, and loss of traction rather than relying on scripted outcomes.
Tire Temperature, Wear, and Pressure
The tire system also includes tire heat, wear, and pressure.
These systems are intended to make tire condition an important part of driving, rather than having the tires provide exactly the same performance indefinitely.
Tire behavior is connected to the overall physics model, and I want to continue refining how these systems affect grip and vehicle handling.
Full Vehicle Drivetrain and Mechanical Systems
The vehicle is being developed around a full drivetrain assembly, with multiple mechanical systems working together to control how power reaches the road.
The systems include:
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Engine torque: The engine produces torque that feeds into the drivetrain.
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Drivetrain assembly: A connected powertrain system for transferring engine power to the driven wheels.
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Transmission: Gear selection and shifting affect how the vehicle delivers power.
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Differential system: The differential is part of the drivetrainās power-delivery and wheel-behavior simulation.
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Brake system: Braking is modeled as part of the vehicle physics, rather than simply applying a generic slowing effect.
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Traction control (TC): Helps manage wheelspin.
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Anti-lock braking system (ABS): Helps manage wheel lockup during braking.
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Automatic shifting: An optional driving assistance feature.
The goal is to have these systems interact with the tire model, suspension, and vehicle dynamics instead of treating each system as an isolated effect.
Different Surface Types and Grip
The project also includes different surface types with different grip characteristics.
Current surface types include:
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Asphalt
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Track surface
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Grass
The purpose is to make the car behave differently depending on what its tires are contacting. Driving on grass should not feel the same as driving on the racing surface, and leaving the track should have meaningful consequences for traction and control.
Suspension and Weight Transfer
The car has a suspension model that includes:
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Spring forces.
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Compression and rebound damping.
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Bump stops.
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Maximum suspension travel.
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A simplified suspension response based on load and estimated compression.
Weight transfer is also part of the vehicleās handling behavior, influencing how the car responds under acceleration, braking, and cornering.
The suspension is still an approximation rather than a complete vertical rigid-body chassis simulation, so this is an area I may continue improving as the project develops.
One of my goals is to make the driving assists account for weight transfer properly instead of having them behave as though the vehicleās load distribution never changes.
Vehicle Damage
The project also includes a vehicle damage system. Damage is intended to add consequences to crashes and other incidents instead of allowing the car to behave identically regardless of what happens.
This is another system that can be refined as the rest of the vehicle physics develops.
Driving Assists and Controls
The project includes several driving options and assistance systems, including:
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Traction control.
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ABS.
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Stability control.
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Automatic shifting.
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Manual shifting.
Manual shifting procedure
To shift manually:
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Release the gas.
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Hold Shift.
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Press Up Arrow to upshift or Down Arrow to downshift.
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Release the arrow key.
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Release Shift.
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Apply the gas again, or brake as needed.
The intention is to make manual shifting a deliberate action rather than an automatic gear change.
Main Menu, Settings, and Vehicle Selector
The project also has a main menu with a Settings menu and a Vehicle Selector interface.
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The main menu can be opened using the menu button.
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Audio settings: The first two audio settings at the top of the Settings menu are currently functional. There are two additional audio settings directly below them, but those two are not functional yet. You can adjust the audio settings using the Left and Right Arrow keys to change their values.
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Driving assists: Below the four audio settings are the driving-assist options. These do work. Move the selector over a driving assist and press A to turn that assist on or off.
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Vehicle Selector: The interface exists, but no vehicles have been added to the selection list yet.
The current vehicle being developed is the 2025 Mustang GTD, and the selector is part of the groundwork for expanding the project later.
Current Development Status
This is still a tech demo, not a finished game. The main priority is getting the physics and track into a good state before expanding the project further.
Iāve been putting a lot of time into this project over a long period, which is why I havenāt posted an update in roughly a year. A lot of the work has gone into developing the custom tire model, connecting the different vehicle systems, and trying to make everything work together within MakeCode Arcadeās limitations.
Some systems are more developed than others, and I donāt consider every part of the simulation fully calibrated yet. Iām particularly interested in finding issues with the tire model, suspension, weight transfer, drivetrain, braking, and driving assists before calling the project version 1.0.
Feedback Would Be Appreciated!
Iād appreciate feedback from anyone familiar with racing-game physics, vehicle simulation, or MakeCode Arcade development.
Some areas Iād especially like feedback on:
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The custom brush-style tire model.
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Combined tire grip and slip behavior.
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Suspension and weight-transfer behavior.
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The drivetrain, engine torque, differential, and braking systems.
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Tire temperature, wear, and pressure.
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Differences in grip between asphalt, the track surface, and grass.
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Traction control, ABS, and stability control.
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Performance optimizations and possible bugs.
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Ideas for making the simulation more realistic within MakeCode Arcadeās limitations.
Iām trying to build the most physically grounded racing simulation I reasonably can in this environment, so constructive criticism and technical suggestions are welcome!
Iāve put a lot of work into getting this far, and Iām looking forward to continuing development and improving the project as I work toward version 1.0.
Thanks for checking out the project!