“Drivers to their cars.”

The voice booms out over the public address system, signaling that it’s time to strap on the helmet, and strap into the high-powered stock cars. The track lays before you, brownish-gray under the lights, which illuminate the night course.

You step on the accelerator, and the engine rumbles to life. You shift into first and head out onto the track – this time is Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concorde, N.C. Quickly accelerate, winding through the track, shifting as the car powers up and passes 100 miles per hour. You see the green flag, and stomp on the accelerator. The machine roars down the track – 140 … 150 … 160 … 170 mph. Your one-lap time trial will determine your placing in the upcoming race.

The checkered flag drops and after banking the next turn, the screen goes black. Then the announcer again calls for drivers to enter their vehicles. There you, in one of two lines, waiting for:

“Gentlemen, start your engines!”

There are few things more wearing on a gamer that a high-speed, white-knuckle racing sim, and Papyrus Studios with Sierra Studios has a dandy. NASCAR Racing 4 utilizes a new 3D graphics engine to deliver graphics that are stunning. Ok, the peripheral environmental elements – such as the crowd, stands, and the occasional structure beyond the concrete barrier that encloses the track – are not the best seen. But who cares? What really matters is the track itself, the cars and the way the action is rendered. And that is absolutely amazing.

Every time a car crunches a wall, it leaves a telltale mark there. Each time there is a collision, and a car spins, its tires screaming as they vainly try to grab the surface of the circuit, the skid marks remain as a testament to what happened. Each time around you will see the warning signs of careless driving.

The site is Daytona. I’m in the 88 UPS car (driven on the NASCAR circuit by Dale Jarrett). We are under a yellow caution flag after a collision in turn four. While you cannot pass under the yellow, trailing cars can catch up to the pack, and that’s what I do - no laughing those of you who are die-hard NASCAR racing fans. I’m almost in the tailpipe of the Pennzoil car as turn after turn of the classic venue rolls past. The crew chief chirps in my ear that on the next lap, we go green. I’m ready. Suddenly, the green flag goes up and I cut to the outside, passing car after car. From last place I pull into second with a turn approaching. That’s when I’m crowded into the wall by the DeWalt 17 car, spinning madly, out of control down through the course and into the infield. The 17 car was in front of me. The trailing cars quickly went low on the track and survived the melee unscathed. The yellow goes back up. The last two laps of the race are run under the caution. No passing and I finish in last, unable to make a move on any car ahead of me.

If you want to see racing graphics that will steal your breath away, watch the taped replay of the race. The car detailing, the lighting and the track will give you the impression that you are watching a televised race. Smoke engulfs the track from spinning tires, sparks fly as cars bang the wall, this game is as much fun to watch as to play.

The options package on this product is terrific. The program has the 2001 teams and sponsors, all car manufacturers, and 24 tracks. Once you have selected your car and set up your driver info, you can configure the controller to be as incredibly realistic as possible. This is in the steering linearity adjustment. For joysticks and novices to racing sim games, you may want to keep the control toward the non-linear side of the sliding scale. If you really want a feel for the precision and sensitivity of these cars, slide it over to the linear side. You will quickly find that the controls are extremely touching, and the tighter you grip the wheel, the worse it seems to be.

Game conditions in the single player format allow you to set the computer opponents strength. There is not much relief for newcomers there though. Take a nighttime race at the Lowe’s track. The computer driver’s strength starts at 70 percent and will only go higher. And there can be up to 42 drivers in a race, making for a very busy track. You will feel it in the pit of your stomach – if after crashing on a small course, with field stretched out, and you suddenly find yourself facing in the wrong direction – when you see cars coming toward you, head-on. You’ll also thank the computer AI for the decency in allowing those cars to steer clear of your battered vehicle.

Much like the real thing, this is not a game about traction. It is about controlling a slick-tired vehicle, on a sometimes oily feeling course, at speeds over 179 miles-per-hour.

This program will also allow gamers to customize their own vehicles, if they so choose, as well as play in an arcade mode, rather than the simulation mode.

This program features a solid multiplayer mode. You can host your own game over a LAN or TCP/IP, or you can use a Flipside account (formerly Won.net, which is a free online gaming site) to race other human drivers. You will have to qualify and some of the races are password-locked.

NASCAR Racing 4 may be visually impressive, but it backs that up with three-dimensional sound, dynamic control elements and game play that will leave you feeling a need to wipe the oil and exhaust fumes from your smudged face after a race.

The NASCAR world was recently shocked and saddened by the recent death of Dale Earnhardt. NASCAR 4 in no way trivializes the dangers of that sport. Nor does it capitalize on the memory of Earnhardt. It is a tribute to, not only Earnhardt, but to every driver who tests their skill, who challenges tracks and other drivers, and who are simply some of the best race car drivers in the world.

This program is rated for Everyone.

Install: Easy.
What could be sweeter than a graphically dynamic program that only requires 310 megs for a full install.

Gameplay: 9.5.
 From the moment that 750-horsepower engine rumbles to life, to checkered flag, final turns around the track and the final sanctuary of the pit, this game presents a flawless chase.

Graphics: 9.5.
There are some elements that lack realism, but when it comes to cars, and car dynamics, there are no flaws in this program. Your view will alter as you take banked turns. Smoke envelopes your vehicle as you spin out, or try to negotiate through another car’s mishap. Four views give drivers the ability to select the way they want to view the race, and you can activate, or disable readouts and mirrors. For the pure fun of it, you should play around in the car customization area.

Sound: 9.
The three-dimensional wall of sound is wonderful. As you climb up a leading car’s tailpipe, the sound rumbles through the speakers, almost overwhelming what your pit boss is barking at you.

Difficulty: 9.5.
This is not an easy game to control. While you may have great success driving one of these stock cars around the track at 135-140 miles-per-hour, all that will get you is a long-distance view of the rest of your opposition. And driving faster is a matter of reflexes, track knowledge and an understanding of when to stand on the accelerator and when to back off just a bit.

Concept: 9.
While the driving game is not new to PC gaming, when a company builds on an award-winning tradition by utilizing a new physics engine and a new 3D graphics engine, they have to get credit for moving forward with the product.

Multiplayer: 9.
This program has marvelous online support. Whether you are playing against a friend or taking on the experienced Internet gaming enthusiasts. I will admit to trying several of the Internet games without engaging in the chat portion. There are some excellent drivers out there who will beat people by the old-fashioned method of out-driving them, not with bump-and-run shenanigans.

Overall: 9.5.
Hmm, let’s see: Incredible graphics, terrific sound, flawless game play and great multiplayer options must add up to a game that should be on any racing sim fan’s shelf. This game supports force feedback so you can feel the grinding of the car against a wall, experience the helplessness of being sent into a spin which makes you resemble a top, or just understand what a truly difficult sport this is. You will walk away from this game with a greater love for racing sims, and a greater appreciation for those real-life NASCAR competitors.