Building a race track in a post-apocalyptic delivery simulator sounds like a joke. Honestly, when Hideo Kojima announced the Death Stranding race track for the Director's Cut, most of us just rolled our eyes. We were busy trying to keep Sam Porter Bridges from face-planting into a river while carrying three tons of ceramic. Why would we care about a Fragile Circuit? But here's the thing: it’s not just a weird mini-game. It’s a resource goldmine.
If you’re still hauling packages through the mountains by hand, you’re doing it the hard way.
The race track, officially known as the Fragile Circuit, is located south of the Timefall Farm. You’ve probably seen the ruined structure sitting there in the Central Region. It looks like a bunch of rusted scaffolding until you dump a massive amount of Chiral Crystals and metal into it. It’s expensive. It’s a pain to build. But if you want the "Homo Faber" achievement or just want to drive the Roadster, you have no choice.
The Brutal Reality of Building the Fragile Circuit
Let’s talk numbers because the cost is actually insane. To get the Death Stranding race track up and running, you need to feed the terminal near the Timefall Farm a staggering amount of materials. We're talking 650 Chiral Crystals, 2,240 Metals, and 1,960 Ceramics.
That’s a lot of MULE camp raiding.
Most players make the mistake of trying to carry all this on their back. Don't. Use a truck. Specifically, a Long Range Truck (Level 3) if you have it. You’ll want to hit the MULE camp just north of the Timefall Farm because they’re loaded with the ceramics you need. Once you dump the resources into the terminal, the holograms flicker to life, and suddenly you have a pristine, paved circuit in the middle of a wasteland.
It feels out of place. It feels surreal. It’s peak Kojima.
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Why You Actually Need the Roadster
You can’t just "find" the Roadster in the wild. This sleek, low-profile sports car is tied directly to your performance on the track. If you want the Roadster and the Roadster Long Range, you have to get an S-Rank on specific races.
Here is the kicker: the Roadster is basically useless on 90% of the game's map. It has the ground clearance of a pancake. If you hit a pebble, you're stopping. But on the national road system? It’s the fastest thing in the game. It makes the "Premium Delivery" runs between Lake Knot City and South Knot City feel like a breeze.
To unlock the basic Roadster, you just need to complete any race on the track. To get the Long Range version—the one that actually matters—you need to S-Rank all the Roadster races. It’s a challenge of patience more than anything else.
Mastering the Drifting Mechanics
Driving in Death Stranding usually feels like wrestling a shopping cart through a muddy field. The Death Stranding race track changes the physics slightly, or at least it feels that way when you're hitting those tight corners.
Use the handbrake. Seriously.
If you try to take the corners just by steering, you’ll slam into the barriers and ruin your time. You need to tap the handbrake (Square on PlayStation, usually) to kick the back end out. There's a specific rhythm to it. If you hold it too long, you spin. If you don't hold it long enough, you're kissing a wall.
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It's weirdly satisfying.
- The Yaeger Move: Keep your boost on until the last possible second before a turn.
- The Battery Problem: On the track, your battery doesn't drain. You can go full throttle forever.
- Ghost Data: Always race against the ghost of the top-ranked players. It shows you the exact line you need to take to shave off those precious seconds.
The Secret Reward: Why Farming the Track Matters
Most people think the track is just for the Roadster. They're wrong. The real reason to spend time at the Death Stranding race track is the Ranking Events.
Every few days, the game cycles through different "Ranked Races." If you place in the top percentages (like the top 10% or even 30%), you get rewarded with massive amounts of high-density materials and "Ranked Medals." These materials aren't just regular packages; they are condensed versions that take up less space but provide more resources for your structures.
If you're trying to level up all your structures to Level 3, this is the most efficient way to get the materials without spending hours scavenging.
Does the Race Track Break the Immersion?
Some players hate it. They think it ruins the "lonely trekker" vibe of the game. I get that. But Death Stranding is also a game about rebuilding society. What’s more human than building a race track just because we're bored?
The game statistics show that players who engage with the race track and the road-building systems actually have a higher rate of completing the "bridge link" connections. It’s a community effort. You’re rarely the only one putting materials into that terminal. Usually, you’ll show up and find that some random player named "BB-Lover69" has already contributed 1,000 metal.
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That’s the beauty of the game. We’re all working together to build a playground in the apocalypse.
Getting the S-Rank Without Losing Your Mind
If you're struggling with the S-Rank times, check your settings. Sometimes the camera distance can mess with your perception of speed. Most of the pro runners use the first-person view or the closest third-person camera.
Also, ignore the trike races. They're fine, but they don't give you the best rewards. Focus on the Roadster and the truck races. The truck races are hilarious because you're essentially drifting a massive delivery vehicle around hairpins. It’s ridiculous, but it counts toward your completion.
Real Talk on the Timefall Farm
The track is right next to the Timefall Farm. This is important. Before you start a long session of racing, make sure you’ve completed the "Chilled Delivery" missions for the farmer. It keeps the area relatively clear of BTs and makes the atmosphere less oppressive. Plus, you’ll want the farm's high-tier rewards anyway.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
If you want to maximize your time with the Death Stranding race track, don't just wander over there aimlessly. Follow this flow to get the most out of it:
- Stockpile at Lake Knot: Grab a truck and fill it with Metal and Ceramic from the Lake Knot City terminal. Don't worry about the weight; the roads are likely already built by other players.
- The MULE Loop: If you're short on materials, hit the MULE camp north of the Timefall Farm. Use the non-lethal assault rifle. Pack the loot into your truck.
- The Build: Deposit everything at the terminal south of the Timefall Farm.
- The S-Rank Grind: Start with the Roadster races. Focus on the "straight" track first to get a feel for the car's top speed before tackling the technical circuits.
- Check the Rankings: Always look at the "Ranked" tab in the terminal. If there's an active event, participate once. Even a mediocre time will net you some Chiral Crystals and materials once the event period ends.
By the time you've mastered the circuit, you'll have the fastest car in the game and enough materials to finish your zip-line network across the mountains. The race track isn't a distraction; it's the ultimate utility tool for a Master Porter.