With an ultra-fast new rendering engine from the team behind Madden NFL 2001, the game allows for a huge number of cars on the track running at a persistent 60 frames per second under all conditions, including multiplayer. This allows more detail than ever before, including heat shimmer, rich depth of field, and car hoods that vibrate from air friction. All 23 tracks are represented, including the newest NASCAR speedways, every NASCAR star, rookie, and veteran, and all four car manufacturers, including Dodge. Go head-to-head with Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Bill Elliot, Michael Waltrip, and Steve Park at Daytona, Rockingham, Vegas, or any other track on the circuit.

You can now race for the championship over multiple seasons. Choose a manufacturer, paint your car, and then earn offers and decals from new sponsors based on your performance. Use your race winnings to equip your crew and vehicle, increasing horsepower, handling, and pit crew performance. You can even earn the right to race for an existing NASCAR team. As you race through multiple seasons, new drivers will come on to the scene while others retire. New levels of realism let cars dent and crumple as they collide, and auto body parts fly off or drag on the track to leave a trail of sparks. Other damage effects include tire donuts on body panels, tire smoke, and oil fires.