diff --git a/assets.h b/assets.h
index fa53aab..6701581 100644
--- a/assets.h
+++ b/assets.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ static const char *LCR_maps[] =
 
   "#=s0s0 #fd190" // big concrete
   "#=s0B0 #fd910" // concrete wall
-  "#^s1A0 #f7110" // ramps before wall
+  "#^s1A0 #fk110" // ramps before wall
 
   "#;p0w0L #f5130" // bugs
 
@@ -37,15 +37,13 @@ static const char *LCR_maps[] =
 
   "#(s0r0"        // hill
   "#~t1t2 #~u1t2 #~t1u2" // bumps
-  "#^t0r0 #f7110 "       // ramps
+  "#^t0r0 #fq110 "       // ramps
 
   "#}n0l0J #|n1l0J #|n3l0J- #]n4l0J- #=o0l0 #f1510" // loop
   "#]n0m0J #|n1m0J #|n3m0J- #]n4m0J- #=o0m0 #f1510" // loop
   "#}l0k0L #|l1k0L #|l3k0L- #]l4k0L- #=k0k0 #f1510"
   "#]l0j0L #|l1j0L #|l3j0L- #]l4j0L- #=k0j0 #f1510"
   "#-k5k0 #f5120"
-
-
 };
 
 #define LCR_IMAGE_SIZE 64 ///< one-dimension resolution of bitmap image
diff --git a/racing.h b/racing.h
index e08c512..5101927 100644
--- a/racing.h
+++ b/racing.h
@@ -31,26 +31,20 @@ typedef int32_t LCR_GameUnit;  ///< abstract game unit
 
 #define LCR_GRAVITY (LCR_PHYSICS_UNIT / 160)
 #define LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION (TPE_F / 180)
-//#define LCR_CAR_AIR_FRICTION ((LCR_GAME_UNIT * 3) / 4) 
 #define LCR_CAR_AIR_FRICTION 32
 
 #define LCR_CAR_STAND_FRICTION_MULTIPLIER 32
 #define LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION (TPE_F)
 #define LCR_CAR_ELASTICITY (TPE_F / 150)
-//#define LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION (LCR_PHYSICS_UNIT / 90)
 #define LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION (LCR_PHYSICS_UNIT / 20)
 
 #define LCR_CAR_STEER_SPEED (LCR_GAME_UNIT / 16)
 #define LCR_CAR_STEER_MAX ((7 * LCR_GAME_UNIT) / 24)
 
-// TODO
-#define LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION_ICE (TPE_F / 200)
-#define LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_ICE (TPE_F / 20)
-#define LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION_ICE (LCR_PHYSICS_UNIT / 100)
-#define LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION_DIRT (TPE_F / 7)
-#define LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_DIRT (TPE_F / 2)
-#define LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_GRASS (4 * (TPE_F / 5))
-#define LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION_GRASS (LCR_PHYSICS_UNIT / 20)
+// multipliers (in 8ths) of friction and acceleration on concrete:
+#define LCR_CAR_GRASS_FACTOR 5
+#define LCR_CAR_DIRT_FACTOR 3
+#define LCR_CAR_ICE_FACTOR 1
 
 #define LCR_CAR_JOINTS 5
 #define LCR_CAR_CONNECTIONS 10
@@ -582,29 +576,35 @@ LCR_GameUnit LCR_racingGetWheelSteer(void)
   return LCR_racing.wheelSteer;
 }
 
+TPE_Unit _LCR_applyMaterialFactor(TPE_Unit value, uint8_t mat)
+{
+  switch (mat)
+  {
+    case LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_GRASS:
+      value *= LCR_CAR_GRASS_FACTOR;
+      break;
+
+    case LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_DIRT:
+      value *= LCR_CAR_DIRT_FACTOR;
+      break;
+
+    case LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_ICE:
+      value *= LCR_CAR_ICE_FACTOR;
+      break;
+
+    default: value *= 8; break;
+  }
+
+  return value / 8;
+}
+
 void _LCR_racingWheelAccelerate(unsigned int wheel, TPE_Vec3 dir,
   uint8_t material)
 {
   TPE_Unit acc =
-    material == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_ICE ?
-      LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION_ICE :
-      (material == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_GRASS ?
-         LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION_GRASS :
-         LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION);
-
-/*
-acc -=
-  (acc * LCR_racing.carSpeed) / LCR_CAR_AIR_FRICTION;
-*/
-
-acc = 
-  acc / (1 + (LCR_racingGetCarSpeedUnsigned() / LCR_CAR_AIR_FRICTION));
-
-/*
-if (acc < 0)
-  acc = 0;
-*/
+    _LCR_applyMaterialFactor(LCR_CAR_ACCELERATION,material);
 
+  acc = acc / (1 + (LCR_racingGetCarSpeedUnsigned() / LCR_CAR_AIR_FRICTION));
 
   LCR_racing.carBody.joints[wheel].velocity[0] +=
     (dir.x * acc) / TPE_F;
@@ -696,11 +696,7 @@ uint32_t LCR_racingStep(unsigned int input)
   }
 
   LCR_racing.carBody.friction =
-    groundMat == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_ICE ?
-      LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION_ICE :
-      (groundMat == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_DIRT ?
-        LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION_DIRT :
-        LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION);
+    _LCR_applyMaterialFactor(LCR_CAR_FORWARD_FRICTION,groundMat);
 
   if(!(input & (LCR_RACING_INPUT_FORW | LCR_RACING_INPUT_BACK)))
     LCR_racing.carBody.friction *= LCR_CAR_STAND_FRICTION_MULTIPLIER;
@@ -798,16 +794,9 @@ uint32_t LCR_racingStep(unsigned int input)
           determined by the dot product (angle) of the axis and velocity */
 
 
+
         TPE_Vec3 fric = TPE_vec3Times(ja,(TPE_vec3Dot(ja,jv) *
-          (/*groundMat == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_CONCRETE*/ 1 ?
-          LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION :
-            (groundMat == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_DIRT ?
-              LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_DIRT :
-              (
-                groundMat == LCR_BLOCK_MATERIAL_GRASS ?
-                LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_GRASS :
-                LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION_ICE)))
-          ) / TPE_F);
+          _LCR_applyMaterialFactor(LCR_CAR_STEER_FRICTION,groundMat)) / TPE_F);
 
         jv = TPE_vec3Minus(jv,fric); // subtract the friction
 
@@ -926,13 +915,13 @@ if (TPE_vec3Dot(carVel,carForw) < 0)
   {
     // car not OK
 
-    if (LCR_racing.carNotOKCount > 5) // TODO: constant
+    if (LCR_racing.carNotOKCount > 10) // TODO: constant
     {
       LCR_LOG1("car not OK (short), fixing");
 
       for (int i = 0; i < LCR_CAR_JOINTS; ++i)
       {
-        if (LCR_racing.carNotOKCount < 50) // TODO: const
+        if (LCR_racing.carNotOKCount < 20) // TODO: const
         {
           // for a while try to smoothly iterate towards previous OK position 
           LCR_racing.carBody.joints[i].position = 
diff --git a/renderer.h b/renderer.h
index 691d87a..646ab38 100644
--- a/renderer.h
+++ b/renderer.h
@@ -1510,6 +1510,9 @@ void LCR_rendererCameraFollow(void)
   S3L_lookAt(LCR_renderer.carModel->transform.translation,
     &(LCR_renderer.scene.camera.transform));
 
+  // look a bit up to see further ahead:
+  LCR_renderer.scene.camera.transform.rotation.x += S3L_F / 32;
+
 #if LCR_SETTING_SMOOTH_ANIMATIONS
   // now average with previous transform to smooth the animation out: