Greenwood Roadway’s Gran Turismo Connection Gets Attention of Local Iowa Residents, TV News

Since GTPlanet reader Joel Hadar first discovered this abandoned circuit in Iowa held a striking resemblance with Gran Turismo’s Deep Forest Raceway, the old track has found itself in the spotlight once again.

The story has attracted a lot of attention in Iowa, especially among those who live near and work at what remains of Greenwood Roadway (it’s now used as a heavy equipment training ground).

NBC news affiliate WHOTV, based in nearby Des Moines, even visited and featured the circuit in a recent newscast.

Bob Herndon of the Iowa Operating Engineer Training Center offered this surprising quote when they asked his opinion on Greenwood’s connection with Deep Forest: “Six years back, we had a couple of gentlemen come out here and they were interested in the old track and they wandered around with their GPS and marked it out and everything. They told us they were going to create a video game out of it.”

Of course, Deep Forest debuted in the first Gran Turismo game back in 1997, but it is confirmation the track is apparently on some game developer’s radar.

Regardless, the Iowa engineering group reportedly still has no plans to sell or renovate the circuit, despite the new international attention on their property.

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Comments (86)

  1. braunracing88

    I think it’s great that they want to keep the track surface intact. Preserve some racing history.

  2. Peelster1

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s highly unlikely that Deep Forest Raceway is based off of Greenwood Roadway. I bet you anything that PD hadn’t even heard of it when they created Deep Forest. Before NASCAR was introduced into GT5, Kaz didn’t know very much about it. So I doubt he even knew about a track in Iowa that was only used for four years. All these people that are saying “these tracks are almost exactly the same, it obvious that Deep Forest is based off of Greenwood Roadway”, don’t know what they are talking about.

    1. Zezzocore

      They’re talking about practically the same degree, and length turns, scenery and elevation changes in the same spots…

  3. RESHIRAM5

    Most of GT5 tracks are based off real ones. Super Speedway was very similar Twin Ring Motegi Speedway but they got rid of Super Speedway (I think it’s because they now have the real Motegi).

  4. Youngun

    Lol, american news fall for some easy BS. “6 Years ago, Someguys came here with a gps said they were gonna put it in some game” lmao, lair.

    1. Zezzocore

      Had nothing to do with Europe bro. It’s about dude knowing this was in a game. And lied a out some bs with a news camera in his face.

  5. NCRthree

    That’s really funny how it made the local news. Probably not a very well known track to many local residents.
    Really cool that you guys put this in the GTP News. Good job!

  6. moparmanmike

    Heres what I think. I think the reporter just kinda made up the whole “6 years ago there was a team mapping the track for a game” because it draws more attention to their town and more public interest to residents who wouldn’t know any better. Kinda like they are trying to draw tourism to the area, cause you know, its Iowa. I’m not saying that this wasn’t the case 18 years ago while they were making the 1st gran turismo, but I think the 6 years thing was just pulled outta thin air for more publicity. What I think is they did use this track as a base, couldn’t get the license to use the name since it was defunct for so long and it wasn’t available or feasible for one reason or another, changed it a bit and called it an original. Either way is pretty cool that there are more American tracks in these games, even if they are hidden. Now if only they get Sebring in gt6!

  7. Radracing

    Maybe PD is going to make a premium updated track of it in GT6 & did their GPS mapping 6 yrs ago. Hell maybe they can partner with the owners and make it the training ground for GT Academy US. :-)

  8. Pit Crew

    I read a story on the GWR website that stated Carroll Shelby had to post bail for some drivers and mechanics that drove their race cars from the track through the city to a Ford dealership for some chassis alignments, in order to race the next day. The cops picked them up at the county line escorting the cars to the Ford dealership and the crews to the Pokey. CS was peeved to say the least lol. Those old school racers sure had some antics in their time.

  9. JCH8r

    I spoke with Bob’s assistant at the track and they are pretty vague about the dates when the track was mapped. I know there are loads of skeptics, but please look at the topography of the real track versus Deep Forest.

    1. Pit Crew

      * “I know there are loads of skeptics” *

      Yeah unfortunately Hateration is free. I think its a great story,especially for a nostalgia hound like myself but many will add more negatives to a story like this then is necessary.

      I appreciate it even if there is no connection to GTs Deep Forest. Just reading about GWR history has been a positive Blast from the past for me. :cheers:

  10. fordskydog

    This just keeps getting less interesting! Even lesser than the less interesting it was the first time around!

  11. Sonygamer455

    This just keeps getting interesting! I still think it should be a playable track in GT5. Also is that a hybrid used in the video?

  12. TDZdave

    My curiosity is, wasn’t the track created in GT1 or GT2, pre- 2000? so its quite a coincedence,

    If I am wrong and it was made 6 years ago then that would be cool, and if this is true, then how many other tracks we use in GT that we believe are created are actually based on former tracks,

    I honestly believed that Trial Mountain was loosely based on Bathurst past a 1971 end of the world scenario,

    1. kekke2000

      There is actually a few examples. High Speed Ring is loosely based on Fuji. Midfield Raceway is loosely based on Suzuka.

  13. KinLM

    It’s a great shame.

    I know I’m not alone when I say that there’s a great deal of people who would love to see this track come to life.

    It seems odd then that they wouldn’t want to possibly create a piece of GT in some way. Considering the size of GT’s popularity, this place could really bring a few people in, providing the renovations would be done correctly.

    I don’t know about anybody else, but I’d be happy to drive from Texas all the way to Iowa just for a lap around this track if it were fixed up. I’d go to it if it was in China.

    It’s such a shame that this won’t happen. At least for now.. Who knows what the future holds.

    1. Jon64½

      Agreed. I would think that this would bring in a nice chunk of revenue for them. Of course they would need to be willing to put in a lot of work to restore it but they are a heavy equipment training company. They could teach their students how to pave race tracks. This could be a Gran Turismo Mecca of sorts if done the right way.

    1. Tvensky

      lol, some guys 6 years ago had taken GPS points on that track… who might that beeeeee… hmmmm… :)

    2. fordskydog

      If you’re claiming that as evidence, and also saying you are a believer… well. You should be generally more skeptical.

      One guy’s vague comments don’t make facts. Especially one guy’s comments based on one guy’s memory don’t make facts.

      I don’t know if there is a connection or not.

    1. Rainmaker1984

      Iowa isn’t in “the south”. As someone who grew up in the Hawkeye state I can assure you it’s still in the upper Midwest region of the country.

    2. Pit Crew

      Maybe the OP lives in Wisconsin or Minnesota, other than that he may want to find a Map of the contenintal U.S.

  14. Mac K

    Deep Forest 5 actually came with a bonus pre-order Canadian Maple Tree and already has many great DLC packs such as the Pine and Cedar racing pack.

  15. ps3finest

    Wow, that was some poor news casting. I’ve seen high school news programs that look more professional than that. :/

    1. ps3finest

      Oh, I don’t know, perhaps the news team could bother to learn the name of the game they are talking about that is one of the premier titles for an internationally successful company. That would be nice.

  16. rallymorten

    Just thinking out loud here:

    1: What’s the chances of PD knowing this track 15 years ago? I’ve hardly known it for 15 days, just to put it into perspective.
    2: Deep Forest was made 15 plus years ago, so why would PD possibly want to scan this 6 years ago? Did they fear the layout had changed?

    I don’t see those “Gentlemen” being PD employees. Most likely maybe EA as they were starting the Shift project around that time, maybe Turn 10, but if PD had a track almost identical 10 years earlier.. It just wouldn’t make sense in my head

    1. TomBrady

      No it’s more likely a couple of guys that make mod tracks for PC sims than it is turn 10, PD or EA. I think either that it was modders, or the guy completely got his dates wrong. Or maybe he’s just lying

  17. BWX

    “Six years back, we had a couple of gentlemen come out here and they were interested in the old track and they wandered around with their GPS and marked it out and everything. They told us they were going to create a video game out of it.”

    He was probably just screwing with the knuckleheads at the local news.

    1. Jordan

      Actually, Joel Hadar mentioned to me that someone at the track had told him this during his visit as well.

  18. Jump_Ace

    Too bag GTTimes.com is down and out. I know I talked about this track back in 2003 on there. Pretty cool it’s getting more attention.

    Jerome

  19. Dekropttiv

    Deep forest 5 is so gonna turn into a meme.
    I wouldn’t be surprised if Bob Herndon lied and just said that to go with the story lol. I doubt any game will ever feature this track.

  20. BkS

    Clearly the “media” i.e. NBC have no idea what the F%£$ their doing, because that was the most badly put together report I think I’ve ever seen. How did this even make a broadcast? It’s such shoddy editing, never mind bloody facts.

    1. TomBrady

      LOL I guess this is the first time you’ve noticed, but all news outlets are like this. Facts? Come on man, that would take too much work

  21. TokoTurismo

    So the owners don’t want to sell the track huh? Don’t makes us get Sony and PD to try and buy it for GT Academy to train and race on. ;)

  22. LVracerGT

    Last paragraph is a piss off. I live in Iowa, I would love for the track to be resurrected. Too bad the property owners are (insert insult here)

  23. Kite

    The year was 2007 six years ago. This was during GT5 development. However, GT1 came out in 1997, nearly a decade before. As we all know, Deep Forest Raceway was already established at that time. Now, either someone got their facts wrong, or someone was blatantly lying about it for the sake of public attention, and “Deep Forest 5?” seriously? lol

  24. USARMYCOMBATVET

    Eeeer I played me some Deep Forest 5 back in 1997..er was it Gran Turismo. I can’ts remember. It’s been so long…(intentional mispells). Please read with a old prospector’s accent because it would make me so happy.

  25. Jared93

    It’s awesome that this was covered by the media, but c’mon Iowa. Out of all people, the ones behind media coverage should know how to properly research the stories their covering instead of distributing false information because you were too lazy to actually fill in the blanks. -_____-

  26. Raggadish

    The guy in the video says something about a few gentlemens being on the track about 6 years back doing stuff for a videogame. GT1 was had this track layout already in 1997! I’m going to take it as him lying his ass off.

  27. SMfan

    “One of the popular games – Deep Forest 5”
    Did they even read the original discussion, or some backup info? Cause it looks like those dudes were just throwing random words around.:D

  28. TokoTurismo

    I say Deep Forest really is based on Greenwood Roadway. I’m mean, the layout itself is similar. :) Super awesome this got attention live news. :D

    1. ps3finest

      Yo dog, I heard you like news, so we put news in news in news so you can learn while you learn while you learn.

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