Have you ever wanted to step into the seat of a 750 horsepower NASCAR Winston Cup car, mash the gas petal, and hold on for the ride of a lifetime? If not, then I am at a loss, as I guess this isn't really the game for you. Otherwise, read-on, as NASCAR Racing 2002 awaits.

Papyrus Racing Games has always been known for producing some of the best racing simulations. It all began back in early 1994 with the original NASCAR Racing. Although well out of date by today's standards, NASCAR Racing was a remarkable evolution in the PC gaming market, and proved what was once thought to be impossible. Papyrus' next big step towards the current state of NASCAR Racing simulations was taken with the release of Grand Prix Legends. Although not a success upon its first release, only over the last year or so has the game gained high recognition and praise, as it has taken players this long to finally get a handle on the capabilities of this game. NASCAR Racing 2002 Season uses the same basic physics engine of that included in Grand Prix Legends several years ago, and it is still proving to be the most realistic to date.

NASCAR Racing 2002 Season, although a standalone product, is primarily based off NASCAR Racing 4. Throughout this review, NASCAR Racing 4 will be compared to and mentioned in a variety of ways, as the primary focus of this article is to evaluate the new features and improvements to the title. NASCAR Racing 2002 Season has every basic feature of NASCAR Racing 4, but much has been improved upon. If you want to get up to speed (no pun intended) on NASCAR Racing 2002 Season, it is recommended that you take a few minutes and read our review of NASCAR Racing 4, as it goes into detail on most of the primary elements that compose the game as a whole.

With NASCAR Racing 4 released only a year or so ago, it was a surprise when Sierra announced NASCAR Racing 2002 Season, a variety of upgrades to the game, improved gameplay, graphics, damage, sound, and an overall new feeling to the game. Three new tracks have been added, two real Winston Cup courses and a fictional three-mile unrestricted oval for all the speed freaks out there. These new tracks include the Chicagoland Speedway and the Kansas Speedway, both 1.5-mile ovals added to the NASCAR calendar in 2001. Also included is nearly every team for the 2002 season, with new drivers, paint schemes, and sponsors.

The other track added to NASCAR Racing 2002 Season is completely fictional, named after a popular beverage and one of the larger NASCAR sponsors. The Coca-Cola Superspeedway is a 3.0 mile oval without restrictor plates, allowing players to race three wide and reach speeds of up to 230-240 miles per hour. The steep banks and large "drops" entering each corner are perfect for spinning out on, and at these speeds, impacts usually carry the car quite a distance before coming to a stop.

Many smaller enhancements have been made to NASCAR Racing 2002 Season that improve the experience of the player and make the game more accessible. Although the game still does not include a save race feature, it is now possible to restart a race through the in-car menu, something that was not included in NASCAR Racing 4. Also, players can now advance the session directly to race with a single mouse click, without having to go through the qualifying and warmup menus. These small enhancements are a large addition and improve the title as a whole.

Two of the largest new features added to the game since NASCAR Racing 4 are the complete replay editor and the track tutorials narrated by Darrell Waltrip. For those unfamiliar with Darrell Waltrip, he is a retired veteran from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, with a successful career of 84 wins and 3 championships. He currently is a play-by-play commentator for FOX Sports and one of the best-known personalities at the track. These interactive track tutorials and the fundamental driving lessons included are a welcome change of pace from previous NASCAR Simulations from Papyrus, and can help drivers better understand the rules of NASCAR. As a NASCAR Racing 4 veteran myself, these tutorials managed to shave a few tenth's of a second off my lap times at a variety of tracks, a great improvement from a simple addition to the game.

The replay editor included in NASCAR Racing 2002 Season allows players to create television style events quickly and easily. Players can load a replay and add special effects, text, sound, and a variety of other creative tools to enhance the experience. Camera angles and points of focus can be specified as well, whether it is a major accident or the winner taking the checkered flag, and fade effects between each scene gives players the idea of watching a NASCAR broadcast on television. This editor is especially useful for league administrators who wish to prepare highlights of a league event, or simply want to get the feeling of creating a real race broadcast. The only problem with this feature is the inability to export the edited replays to a useful format, such as avi or mpeg. Currently, these replays cannot be used outside the game, which is somewhat unfortunate as it can be annoying to have to load the game every time you wish to view a replay. Other than this issue, the replay editor is a solid addition and something that can be widely used and enjoyed.