Area 51

A prominent location in popular culture and video games, Area 51 is a highly-classified research base in Southern Nevada, United States of America. It is featured in the Asphalt series as a race track.
== Overview ==
The United States Air Force facility commonly known as Area 51 is a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada Test and Training Range. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the correct names for the facility are Homey Airport (ICAO: KXTA) and Groom Lake, though the name Area 51 was used in a CIA document from the Vietnam War. Other names used for the facility include Dreamland, and nicknames Paradise Ranch, Home Base and Watertown. The special use airspace around the field is referred to as a Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N).
The base's current primary purpose is publicly unknown; however, based on historical evidence, it most likely supports development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems (black projects). The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component to unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore. Although the base has never been declared a secret base, all research and occurrings in Area 51 are Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). In July 2013, following an FOIA request filed in 2005, the CIA publicly acknowledged the existence of the base for the first time, declassifying documents detailing the history and purpose of Area 51.
Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles (134 km) north-northwest of Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield. The site was acquired by the United States Air Force in 1955, primarily for the flight testing of the Lockheed U-2 aircraft. The area around Area 51, including the small town of Rachel on the aptly named "Extraterrestrial Highway", is a popular tourist destination.
== Asphalt 8: Airborne ==
=== Overview ===
Area 51 was released in the Santa's Gift Update and has four layouts:
Test Site: Omega	
Classified 	
The Secret Lab 	
Route 375-1 	
In each track, the player drives through the desert of Southern Nevada via canyons and a small town with a gas station. At the research base, the player starts at the airstrip and can enter and exit the research base through several entrances/exits. In one of the entrances/exits, there is a grid of red lasers, although these are hollow and will not wreck the player's vehicle. The ramps between the lasers can be hazardous as approaching these with too much speed may cause the vehicle to miss the second ramp and be wrecked.
On the track, traffic vehicles are both normal civilian vehicles and military vehicles seen in San Diego Harbor.
In the Multiplayer League Update, Area 51 was revamped to have better visibility and lighting, as well as new nitro locations.
Area 51 tracks have the most shortcuts and alternate routes of any track in the game. The Area 51 tracks are 4.06 mi (6.54 km) long.
Classified and The Secret Lab are accessible in Gate Drift.
The following cars have their banners depicted in Area 51:
* 1967 Chevrolet Impala
* Hot Wheels Bone Shaker™
* Lamborghini Estoque
* Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series
* Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
* Lamborghini Egoista
* Mosler Super GT
=== Recommendations ===
:
* Top speed, handling, and nitro consumption rates matter here as this track features long sections of twisting and/or straight roads without nitro power-ups, as well as difficult curves and ramps.
=== Trivia ===
* Area 51 reuses the background sound effects heard in Dubai and Nevada.
** Sometimes, in Time-Limited Events, the Mothership will appear in Route 375-1 along with accompanying sound effect that replace the normal background sound effects from Dubai and Nevada. Be careful, though, as restarting the race will remove the Mothership.
** In Classified, there is a chance that another alien ship will appear in the warehouse.
** The game data files reveal that there were originally going to be UFOs crashing onto the ground to surprise racers. The following files prove it: "sfx_ufo_crash_fly_by.wav" and "sfx_ufo_crash_loop.wav".
* Area 51, Rio de Janeiro, Patagonia, Munich Subway and Transylvania were not selectable in Quick Solo Race until the Sixth Anniversary Update.
** Area 51 holds the longest unplayable Quick Solo Race appearance of any track in the game, unplayable for 12 updates.
** All three tracks lack the reverse track symbol on their reverse tracks' banners.
*** This has been fixed with Munich Update.
** All four locations are also the only locations to have the alternate more-realistic-looking blue nitro powerup located on some of their tracks.
** As of the Sixth Anniversary Update, all of the 5 tracks mentioned are now selectable in Quick Solo Race.
* All of the cars introduced in the Santa's Gift Update (except the McLaren F1 XP-5) use the Area 51 tracks for their Season 9 events.
** Similarly, all of the cars introduced in the Lunar New Year Update use the Area 51 and Tenerife tracks for their Season 9 events.
* There are no variations in time of day on this track, regardless of the selected track variant.
* Polls have shown that alongside Iceland, Area 51 is the least liked track in the game.
* The Lamborghini Egoista's Research & Development event starts and ends here, specifically at Test Site: Omega.
* Area 51 and Tokyo are currently the only tracks in the game where racing takes place at night.
* Area 51 wasn't depicted in a promotional banner for the game until the Multiplayer League Update, featuring a Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG Racing Series and the Mothership in the background.
* Despite being a new track in the Santa's Gift Update, Area 51 does not appear in Tag Season at all, even though Tag Weekend Cups may use an Area 51 track.
* There is a glitch that often presents itself when the game is played offline, especially after restarting races on the Classified track variant. All forms of ground-based traffic will still be present, but the large advanced military stealth jet that is seen on the runway near the large ramp will not appear. It's still possible to wreck one's vehicle in mid-air at the exact location on the runway where the jet normally appears. This might possibly be due to the jet's collision detection physics still being active.
* During Gate Drift races, certain sections of the track are blocked off with concrete barrier(s). Once the race is finished and the AI takes control, the player's vehicle will attempt to cross the barrier(s) and wreck. This is due to the AI directing the vehicle through what would otherwise be its normal route, and not recognizing the obstructions in its path.
** In some cases, the vehicle will re-route itself onto the alternate path (only to return and wreck again at the same spot), and in others, it will run into the same barrier(s) indefinitely.
=== Gallery ===
<tabber> General = 
Area_51_map.jpg |Track layout
A8 Lamborghini Egoista.png |The Lamborghini Egoista's banner is set in Area 51.
|-| Test Site: Omega = 
Test Site Omega banner a8.png|Banner
SiteTest AREA51.jpg|Track layout
Area 51 - test site.jpg|
Test Site Omega pre-race.png|Pre-race screen
Test Site Omega post-race.png|An ED Design Torq after a race in Test Site: Omega.
|-| Classified =
Classified banner a8.png|Banner
Classified pre-race.png|Pre-race screen.
Classified post-race.png|A Peugeot SR1 after a race in Classified.
Screenshot_2018-07-21-18-37-31.png|This advanced military stealth jet can occasionally be seen near the runway.
Screenshot_2019-01-19-01-24-24.png|The AI routing glitch following a Gate Drift race, where the player's vehicle attempts to cross the concrete barrier(s).
|-| The Secret Lab =
The Secret Lab banner a8.png|Banner
The Secret Lab pre-race.png|Pre-race screen.
The Secret Lab Gate Drift.png|An Aston Martin DB9 Coupé during a Gate Drift event in The Secret Lab.
The Secret Lab post-race.png|A Mosler GT3 after a race in The Secret Lab.
|-| Route 375-1 =
Route 375-1 banner a8.png|Banner
Route 375-1 pre-race.png|Pre-race screen.
Ind Day UFO.png|The Mothership in the background.
Route 375-1 post-race.png|A TRION NEMESIS after a race in Route 375-1.
</tabber>
== See also ==
*Nevada
*Las Vegas
Category:Locations
Category:North America
Category:United States of America
Category:Asphalt 8: Airborne
Category:Asphalt 8 Race Tracks
Category:Santa's Gift Update