Players earn NASCAR Experience Points (NXP) for every race, and leveling up unlocks new challenges and additional liveries. NTG: 2011 features a career mode, challenges and individual races, in addition to online multiplayer. Adjustable difficulty, assists and race length means you can cut your teeth against easy opponents in 6 lap races before working your way up to more realistic challenges. Either way you’ll need to play patient and strike when the opportunity arises. High-speed tracks with engine restrictor plates like Daytona require drafting and even bump drafting so you can slingshot in front of other drivers. Super short, heavily banked courses like Bristol Motor Speedway are fast, exciting, and usually full of crashes. You’ll quickly get to know the differences between the ovoid beasts. Misjudge the banking or go in too hot, and you’ll be saying hello to the wall every time too slow and you’ll get passed or worse.

Slight changes in banking, track length and turn angles means every race requires your full attention.

It may sound strange to non-NASCAR fans, but every circular track really does feel different.

Nascar the game crashes