You can race on a variety of courses, from 23 real world Winston Cup courses, 12 road courses and 11 fantasy courses, including a costal town and a busy city. There are 60 challenges in all.
When racing, what you do on the circuit affects future races. Ram someone into the wall or cause someone to spin out, and they'll remember. They'll try to get back at you in a future race. Help someone out, by clearing a path or sharing the draft, and they'll return the favor to you. Grudges and alliances are tracked throughout your career, so the more you piss someone off, the more likely they'll try to harm you. The game features the Speed Zone, a mode comprised of different games that will earn you points and increase your skill, such as passing and drafting, blocking and drifting.
NASCAR Thunder 2004 features Career mode, where you can go through a full 20 seasons before having to retire. You manage everything, from your pit crew and car parts to your sponsors and research and development.
There are 70 officially licensed drivers and over 180 vehicle skins. If nothing suits you, create your own driver and car and see how you do.
The game also features the EA Sports Bio, a career tracker that tracks your stats over every NASCAR Thunder 2004 -playing EA Sports game. The more games you play and the longer you play, the higher your level and the more rewards you can unlock.