If you want to experience the thrill of racing cars in fast-paced video games, but don't have a whole lot of cash to spare, fear not. Dozens of high-quality free racecar games are available for to play online, featuring Nascar, Indy 500, drag racing and other types of races.

Auto racing has been around nearly as long as the horseless carriage itself. As cars became more widespread, people abandoned buggy and carriage racing in favor of the new faster, more easily-maneuverable vehicles. Today, racing is a professional sport as well as an underground pastime.

One of the most widely-played racing games is Speed Racing, which is available at freeonlinegames.com. At the time of this writing, it has been played 12,893,999 times, and has an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars. To play, steer your vehicle using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Accelerate with the Control key, reverse using the Alt key, and brake with the space bar. http://www.freeonlinegames.com/racing-games/speed-racing.html

Sim Taxi is another race car favorite. In this game, players put themselves in the driver's seat of taxi cabs, and dash around the city to pick up and drop off passengers. Money is earned for each fare you pick up, which allows you to upgrade your car.http://www.gamesfreak.net/games/Sim-Taxi_3081.html

Of course, these two are just the beginning -- there are a multitude of racing games on the Web, and there are several websites that can be counted on for free, quality gaming. These include www.gamesfreak.net and www.ballerarcade.com. The links on this page will also lead you to some of the best free games out there right now.