Michael, try this tune up:
Clutch 1 1.50 seconds 26%
Clutch 2 2.62 seconds 66%
Final Clutch 3.06 seconds 100%
Primary Clutch 146.0 Grams
Secondary Clutch 356.0 Grams
Spark 60.0 Degrees
Compression 6.45:1
Overdrive 41.5
Initial Fuel Flow 0.0 sec 85%
Fuel Flow 1 1.5 sec 88%
Fuel Flow 2 2.55 sec 93%
Final Fuel Flow 2.95 sec 100%
Tire Pressure 7.2 psi
Front ballast 8 lbs
Rear Wing 1.75 deg
Front Wing 1.90 deg
This gives me a 4.528-4.534 run. I've got a tune that runs 4.47, but you have to keep the burnout short, and stage quick, and above all keep it in the groove.
You're so right about all the flaws in the game; crashes are a joke, it's more like an ASSCAR spinout, the groove is too freaking narrow
, if you don't back up in your burnout tracks odds are you're gonna' spin the tires within 150'. The tracks in the game are not comparable with what the actual ones are. I used the same tuneup in Pomona and Seattle and the cars ran close to identical numbers, and as most of us know, you'll NEVER run a good number in Seattle. I think the only thing they got right was that with the best possible tuneup you're not going to run better than what the current real world E.T. is, compared to the 4.1s you could run with the old PS game.
Good Luck Michael, I hope the tuneup works in the PSP version.