NASCAR 09 is the latest installment in EA’s long-running NASCAR franchise and an update from prior years. It has an updated driver list and revised paint schemes, with elite drivers from the NASCAR Sprint, Nationwide, and Craftsman Truck Series.

There are also two new “racing models” to pick from, depending on your ability level. They are competing in either “Normal” mode, which is more forgiving and designed for beginning players, or “Pro” mode, designed for hardened racing gamers. Players can also learn from the game’s cover driver, Jeff Gordon, how to pick and pass and introduce new elements to the game.

There are three main game modes: exhibition for one or two players and “Chase for the Cup,” a conventional career mode in which players begin in the Craftsman Truck Series and work up to the Sprint Cup Series by winning races and acquiring valuable sponsorships. There are also new “Sprint Driver Challenges” that allow the user to compete against top Sprint Cup drivers in racing challenges, with winning these tasks unlocking new paint schemes and extra items.

There is also internet functionality for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (the Playstation 2 does not have online) where users can build special paint schemes for their cars using the “Paint Booth,” allowing them to personalize paint schemes as they want—allowing players to download templates from the Electronic Arts Sports website and use them in editing programs such as Photoshop.