NASCAR Thunder™ 2003 surrounds you with the emotion, sound, fury, and risks of the high-speed, high-drama career of a NASCAR® star. Feel the adrenaline rush, intensity, and passion of being a NASCAR driver on a quest to become a NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion. Take on various real-life scenarios, complete with dramatic pileups, walls of smoke, and constant door -to-door, three-wide racing, to test your nerve and improve your racing skills. Build a racing legacy over the course of 20 drama-filled seasons.

A totally new gaming engine delivers better game play through improved physics, AI and control. While new graphics rendering technology allows spectacular car and track highlights, enhanced smoke and damage, and even more dynamic racing venues.

• Career Mode: Deepest career racing game includes 20 successive seasons; now you will need to manage four major components while building a racing care. Compete for top sponsors, the best crewmembers, and the latest racing technology.
• Lightning Mode: More than 30 MRN "Moment of the Race" scenarios featuring memorable action from actual NASCAR races; each scenario is presented by the NASCAR driver involved in the race scenario; the player relives the moment and either changes history or preserves it.
• Thunder License: With interactive instruction from the best NASCAR drivers, you will get behind the wheel of your own NASCAR ride and learn the driving lines, brake points, and all the nuances to develop from an entry-level driver to a pro.
• All-new game engine: New engine features more realistic vehicle dynamics, including tire grip and wear patterns, handling and suspension behavior, and collision physics; fun entry-level control with progression to deeper "simulation."
• New Tracks: Introducing six new infield road courses and one new superspeedway. All 23 NASCAR Winston Cup tracks can be raced with 14 tracks featuring both day and night racing; now also includes the Daytona Beach road course (circa 1950).
• Amazing Visual Effects: Spectacular crashes; blown tires shred; car fragments and sparks fly; car parts on the track will damage vehicle if struck. Dust whipped up as car dives low/high in corners; shadows cast by track objects visible on car bodies.
• NASCAR Pageantry: Motion captured victory lane celebrations include driver celebrations, trophy moment and fireworks; dramatic pre-race camera fly-bys build emotion.
• Thunder Plates: Earn license plates during game play and unlock new features, including drivers, tracks and videos.
• Sense of Speed: Greater volume of trackside items, more things "flying" by; more shadow reflections on the car bodies and track surface; dynamic chase camera compresses/regresses according to deceleration and acceleration.
• Quick Cautions and Pit Mistakes: accelerates the time a caution takes and adds a TV style recap of the cause. Pit crew mistakes will happen from time to time and can affect the outcome of a race.