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i'm no longer sure that the times are noticeably faster on NTSC. analysing the times tables leads me to think that the difference in times is mostly a result of some intense competition on some of the tracks. there may be a small inherent speed difference, but nothing that would result in the often several seconds difference in overall times between the two regions. the leaders on most of the PAL version's circuits just don't seem to have been seriously challenged, so they had less incentive to go back and push their own times.

now that you're competing in NTSC land, i think you'll see some stiff resistance. we seem to have the opposite situation now to what used to exist on the tables. a couple of years ago, there wasn't much happening in NTSC, but that has changed fairly dramatically
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