The physics.   I promise you, this game is as real to true racing that you can possibly get, unless you have raced down the highway with a family member that is a NASCAR driver in speeds in excess of 140 mph.  The point I'm making is that NASCAR 99 has all the cool things that all the other racing games lack.  On all the tracks you race, there is a preferred line, meaning, that you can achieve faster speeds and better times by driving in a specific part of the track.  This is of course, a real thing that the average Joe may not know about.  Another important strategy in racing is drafting, where you tail-gate the car in front of you, cutting the rushing wind speeds in the front of your car, allowing you to achieve higher than normal speeds.  For the mechanic in you, there are options to customize your car in explicit detail.  Just to name a few, you have the ability to modify all of the following: suspension, spoiler angles, tire pressure, gear ratios, and many many more.  What does this mean?  It means that you can built the ultimate race car that suits your driving needs.  The car you set up may be different than one your friend sets up, but you may be equal on the race track depending on your driving styles.  To be completely accurate, there is a very realistic damage model, where you can accumulate damage in a race from "rubbing" other cars or smacking walls.  To survive in a long race, you will have to drive fast and very carefully, because one bad pass can result in an early end to your race.  There is an option that allows you to to drive with damage off, but that wouldn't challenge your skills now would it.

What's new.  Well, to start, and most importantly is the addition of 3 full seasons: NASCAR Winston Cup, NASCAR Grand National, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series.  You can race against all of these series best competitors including last years champions, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jack Sprague.  Because NASCAR 99 now includes The NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, a different, re-designed physics model was developed specifically for these types of vehicles.  Native support for 3Dfx and Rendition based accelerators really improve the playability of the game too.  To enjoy all the graphics options that are available and be able to play with a smooth framerate, you will need one of these 3D cards.  NROS (NASCAR Racing Online Series) software has been included to play over the internet, although it would have been nice to have something like Battle.net, where you could mindlessly and easily select multiplayer and find other players to challenge.

NASCAR 2 was famous for its revolutionary gameplay and realism.   NASCAR 99 pushes the envelope a bit further by featuring a better physics engine, and the inclusion of  the Grand National and Craftsman Truck series will give you additional reasons to play.   NASCAR 99 plays even better if you have a nice analog steering wheel with foot pedals.  Trust me, this game will provide a deeper strategy and a better value than any of the other racing simulations on the market.  NASCAR 99 should be a welcome addition to any racing fans library of games, and is a good example of how a sequel should be.  Papyrus did not fix what isn't broken (like many other companies do), instead they improved on what they had and offered more options and features to enhance the experience of the game.