NASCAR Racing 3

NASCAR Racing 3 is a racing simulator produced by Papyrus Design Group and published by Sierra Sports for Microsoft Windows in 1999.

NASCAR Racing 3
Cover art featuring the cars of Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett
Developer(s)	Papyrus Design Group
Publisher(s)	Sierra Sports
Director(s)	David Matson
Producer(s)	Matt Marsala
Designer(s)	Richard Yasi
Programmer(s)	Charlie Heath
Artist(s)	David D. Flamburis
Series	NASCAR Racing
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	NA: September 16, 1999[1] EU: 1999
Genre(s)	Sim racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Gameplay

Players can compete in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 1999 NASCAR Busch Series. The game had an expansion called Craftsman Truck Series Expansion, featuring content from the 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Patches were available for updates for both the main and expansion games on the Sierra Entertainment website.

A CD-ROM given away as part of 2000 Daytona 500 official program includes a demo of the game (and NASCAR Legends) featuring Daytona International Speedway, which would make its official debut in the sequel, NASCAR Racing 4.^[2]

Development

Originally, NASCAR Racing 3 was to feature physics that debuted in Grand Prix Legends and to be released in fourth quarter of 1998, according to the teaser included in the Busch Series expansion pack for NASCAR Racing 2. This version of NASCAR Racing 3 was cancelled in favor of the final version, which was closer to the predecessor, and the Grand Prix Legends-style physics was pushed back to NASCAR Racing 4.^[3]

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	84%[4]

Review scores

Publication	Score
CNET Gamecenter	8/10[5]
Computer Games Strategy Plus	[6]
Computer Gaming World	[7]
GameSpot	9.4/10[8]
GameZone	8.5/10[9]
IGN	9.2/10[10]
PC Accelerator	8/10[11]
PC Gamer (US)	81%[12]
PC PowerPlay	89%[13]
PC Zone	79%[14]

Reception

NASCAR Racing 3 received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.^[4]

According to Edge, the game sold at least 100,000 units in the US, but was beaten by NASCAR Racing 4's 260,000 sales in the region. Total US sales of NASCAR Racing computer games released in the 2000s reached 900,000 units by August 2006.^[15]

The game won GameSpot's 1999 "Driving Game of the Year" award. The staff called it "as ambitious as driving games get".^[16] It was also a nominee for CNET Gamecenter's "Best Racing Game" award, which went to Need for Speed: High Stakes.^[17]

References

1. Abner, William (September 16, 1999). "NASCAR [Racing] 3 Ships". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 24, 2003. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
2. "NASCAR Racing 3". RaceSimCentral. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
3. Wheatley, Tim (October 30, 2020). "NASCAR Racing 3: The Sim That Never Was". RaceSimCentral. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
4. "NASCAR Racing 3 for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
5. Goble, Gordon (September 23, 1999). "NASCAR Racing 3". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
6. Mouneimne, Neil (October 14, 1999). "NASCAR Racing 3". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on February 28, 2003. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
7. Todd, Brett (March 2000). "You Couldn't Ask for Anything More (NASCAR Racing 3 Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 188. Ziff Davis. p. 132. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
8. Poole, Stephen (September 27, 1999). "NSACAR Racing 3 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
9. Shif, Gil Alexander (March 3, 2000). "NASCAR® Racing 3 Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
10. Saltzman, Marc (October 27, 1999). "NASCAR Racing 3". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
11. PCA staff (January 2000). "NASCAR Racing 3". PC Accelerator. No. 17. Imagine Media. p. 93. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
12. Mahood, Andy (December 1999). "NASCAR Racing 3". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 12. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
13. Fox, Edward (January 2000). "NASCAR 3 [sic]". PC PowerPlay. No. 44. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 76–77. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
14. Ponting, Tim (Christmas 1999). "NASCAR Racing 3". PC Zone. No. 84. Dennis Publishing. p. 93. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
15. Edge staff (August 25, 2006). "The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century (Page 3)". Edge. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
16. GameSpot staff. "The Best & Worst of 1999 (Driving Game of the Year)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
17. Gamecenter staff (January 21, 2000). "The Gamecenter Awards for 1999! (Racing)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on June 5, 2000. Retrieved June 9, 2021.

External links

• NASCAR Racing 3 at MobyGames