Papyrus Design Group

Papyrus Design Group
IndustryVideo games
Founded1987
FounderDavid Kaemmer
Omar Khudari
Defunct2004
FateSold to FIRST.net
Headquarters,
Key people
Omar Khudari (CEO)
ProductsIndianapolis 500
IndyCar Racing series
NASCAR Racing series
Grand Prix Legends
ParentSierra Entertainment (1995–2004)

Papyrus Design Group, Inc. was a computer game developer founded in 1987 by David Kaemmer and CEO Omar Khudari. Based in Watertown, Massachusetts, it is best known for its series of realistic sim racing games based on the NASCAR and IndyCar leagues, as well as the unique Grand Prix Legends. Papyrus was acquired by Sierra On-Line in late 1995[1][2] and Omar Khudari left Papyrus soon after that. Dave Kaemmer left Papyrus in late 2002, just before the release of NASCAR Racing 2003 Season (NR2003).

In the 2001 Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway, Papyrus Design Group sponsored John Andretti’s car.

On June 5, 2003, NR2003 community modders PWF (Project Wildfire) announced that many of their members would be joining a new group called FIRST.

At the end of the first quarter of 2004, NR2003 was pulled from the shelves due to license expiration. This is when FIRST (later to become iRacing) started its acquisition of the NR2003 code from Vivendi Universal.

The Papyrus website was shut down on April 5, 2004.

On May 28, 2004, Vivendi and Papyrus sold copyrights to FIRST.net, LLC who became the registered owner of the copyrights for NASCAR Racing 2003 Season and would go on to develop iRacing using its engine.

  1. ^ Sherman, Christopher (February 1996). "Movers & Shakers". Next Generation. No. 14. Imagine Media. p. 25.
  2. ^ "News Bits". GamePro. No. 90. IDG. March 1996. p. 17.