Story
Choose a driver and race around different tracks against other NASCAR drivers, completing laps and trying to win the race.
Gameplay
Select from one of two different driving configurations; Pro or Normal.
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Pro features three difficulty levels: rookie, veteran, and legend, and will be designed for hardcore NASCAR fans looking for a very realistic game experience. Normal is designed for the casual fan willing to sacrifice realistic elements for a more traditional video racing game experience. It includes rookie and veteran difficulty levels. The different combinations of driving configurations and difficulty levels should result in a game that is highly customizable to individual skill and interest levels.
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NASCAR 09 features many of the same game modes from NASCAR 08, including Sprint for the Cup (career mode), Season mode, Test & Tune, and Quick Race. Sprint for the Cup upgrades contain a revamp of the menu system, in addition to a virtual Jeff Gordon guide. One of the new modes in the 2009 version is the Sprint Driver Challenge which allows users to complete various events and mini-games to test their skills.
Online Play
NASCAR 09 supports online play on all three consoles. There is a maximum of 14 drivers participating in each online race, and all races are conducted on the Pro difficult settings. A new feature for 2009 in online play is called Own the Track, which allows users to compete for bragging rights among their friends at each track, and includes detailed leaderboards.