For all of the tracks except for Daytona and Talledega, go into car setup before the race. Change your tire pressure down to 15 psi for better acceleration and easier handling. For Daytona and Talledega, leave it at 25 psi.
Bristol: Easy win
First, turn on the running line, and unlimited fuel and tires. Qualify as you would for any track. During the race, when the running line turns red, wait a moment before letting off the gas. Then, press the gas when you reach the green again.
The car will automatically go high, and the other cars will slow down. You can go around them. It may take a few laps, but eventually you will be running in the front. This tactic can be adapted for all short tracks. When at Bristol Motor Speedway on the second lap, on the second turn the other cars will slow down.
Bristol: Great crash
Go to Bristol, turn around, and run directly into the lead car. If yellow flags are on, you will not be able to turn around.
Bud Shoot Out
On the first lap, go into the pits and take on left side tires only (no gas or repairs). When you leave the pits, cause a caution. After all of the caution laps, there will only be one lap remaining and not enough time for anyone to pit.
Dale Earnhardt
Enter Dale Earnhardt as a name at the create a car screen.
Daytona: Easy win
Make sure the race is set on ten percent difficulty. Then, cause a crash on lap four. If done correctly, there should be a caution. Go into the pits, and ignore that fact if no one else also enters. You will probably be last, but there will soon be another caution and the leaders will come in. Stay out and do not pit. After the stop, you should be in first or second place. You will run low on gas, but you will not run out. Block and you will be able to win.
Daytona: Easy win
Make sure the race is set on ten percent race length. Then, cause a crash on lap four. If done correctly, there should be a caution. Go into the pits, and ignore that fact if no one else also enters. You will probably be last, but there will soon be another caution and the leaders will come in. Stay out and do not pit. After the stop, you should be in first or second place. You will run low on gas, but you will not run out. Block and you will be able to win.
At Daytona in career mode in the Datona 500, when you pit instead of taking four tires or right side tires, take on left side tires and enough fuel to make it to the finish. You should leave the pits in first place, providing that you came in first or near it.
Daytona: Super speed
Go to Daytona Super Speedway at any length. At a round of pit stops, before you enter, go to speeds of 71 to 75 mph. Do your pit stop with a penalty; your speeds should be at around 207 mph. This will work about 50% of the time.
Set your gear ratios to preset 6 and tire pressure at 21 psi. You will go up to 194 mph. Note: It will take your car some time to get up to speed, but on the second lap you might even reach speeds of 197 mph (because you will be drafting).
Eight Championships
Win all eight championships and get the Eight Championships video with a New Lightning challenge.
Fantasy drivers
Enter Extra Drivers as a name at the create a car screen.
Faster donuts on celebration
When you win a race and start to celebrate, begin to do a donut. When you are spinning, hold the brake and your car will spin even faster.
Get pole position
Before running a veteran race in quick race mode, take the Thunder license and complete all three levels of the test for the desired track. This will give the first (pole) starting position.
Lowe's Motor Speedway: Car setup
The following setup is to be used with caution. With this setup, your car can and will slide out of turn four and hit a wall if you are not careful. Change the car setup to the following settings. Tire Pressure: 23 PSI; Down force: Fender Flare, 74"; Rear Spoiler, 51 degrees; Suspension: Front and Rear Springs at 100%, sway bar at 1/4 ", and Wedge at -4.0; Gears: first to 1.30, second to 1.10, third- 2.00, fourth- .80; and Rear End to 4.60. This setup takes away the handling needed to succeed on Lowe's, but the speed will give you an advantage. The acceleration combined with the speed will get you up to about 195 mph by turn four, lap one. Also, this setup allows you to not let off the gas if you have all assists on. Use unlimited gas/tires for this, as it will eat your tires.
NASCAR Commentary
If you want to bend the rules a bit turn off caution flags, turn on unlimited fuel and tires, move the race progress past 5%, and then do a quick race. When the race starts, go to the side of the track or just go backwards on the track. Either way, you'll hear some really funny commentary from your pit crew as you break the rules of NASCAR.
Pass easily
Draft with the car in front of you for awhile. When you just come out of a turn, move over and you should pass him. You can also do this on a straight away, but it works much better coming out of a turn. Also, drafting helps fuel mileage and your speed.
Pay At The Pump lightning challenge
During the Pay At The Pump challenge, step on the gas all through the track. Put a big enough lead on Bobby Labonte and Sterling Marlin so that it is about a two to three second gap. You will run out of gas at the exit of turn four, depending on how hard you have been pushing the car. If the lead is big enough, just block and you will win the challenge. This may take a few attempts, but if you drive the car correctly it will be an easy way to win.
Pocono thunder challenge
Press Start during the race. Go to the settings and set "Auto Brake" to "Off". Set "Stability Control" to "Limited". You will be able to catch your opponent. Try to stay off the wall; if you hit it too much you car will be gone.
Richard Petty
To unlock Richard Petty, enter his name at the create a car screen.
Rookie stripes
When in career mode, the back of your bumper has yellow stripes on it. When you get to the second season, they will be gone.
Talladega: Car setups
Go into car setup. Go into "Gear Ratios" and change the two down at the very bottom to "89" and "4.45" respectively. Note: "4.45" for the bottom one and "89" for the one above it. Accept the changes, start the race, and by the end of the back stretch on the first lap, you can get up to and over 200 mph.
Go into car setup. Then, select "Auto Transmission". Set the tire pressure to "30". Loosen or tighten the car as desired. Finally, go to the gear ratios. Leave the first gear as is. Set second gear to "1.85", third gear go "1.35", fourth gear to "1.01" or "1.02", and leave rear end as is. When you start the race, second and third gear will be a little slow, but when you get to fourth you will blow them away. At the end of the first lap you should be going about 190 to 195 mph.
Talladega: Easy win
Go to the car set-up then select the gear ratios. Set the ratio number to "5". Make sure damage is off, and tire wear is unlimited. Also, use a manual transmission. Note: This can also be used at Daytona.
The Big One lightning challenge
At the start of the challenge or a few seconds after, slow the car to 181 to 183 mph. Do not let the meter at the top of the screen transfer below 24th or you will be out of contention. When you feel that you have enough room between the cars that will wreck and yourself, accelerate. You should have enough speed to get to about 4th place. Stay alert to dodge the wrecking cars. Do not slow if you happen to drive through some smoke. You have to time it correctly in order to catch the lead pack.
Thunder Plates
Select the Thunder Challenge or Lightning Challenge at the game mode screen. Complete the various challenges to get new Thunder Plates.
Thunder Plates
Select the Thunder Challenge or Lightning Challenge at the game mode screen. Complete the various challenges to get new Thunder Plates. Note: The Plates are awarded randomly from game to game, winning a certain track with a particular driver will not unlock the same Plate between games.
Tiburon Speedway track
Use a memory card with a saved file from an EA Sports 2003 game.
Tiburon: Great crash
Let all the cars pass you at the star of the race. Line up on the start/finish line so that the front of your car is facing the wall and the back of it is facing the pits. Hold the brakes and wait for the other cars to come around. With you parked out on the track and the other cars coming around, they will hit you. When they do, you and other cars will go flying up in the air. Sometimes this takes out four or more cars, and perhaps even all of them.
Unlock Cars
To unlock a paint scheme for a specific driver, win a race under Veteran or Legend mode.
Unlock Dale Jr.'s Oreo and Nilla schemes
Beat the Steve Park Thunder Challenge.
Watkins Glen: Easy win
Set the race length to 5%. On the first lap, cause a caution. When asked to pit, do not. On the second lap, cause another caution. This time when asked, pit. You will be 43rd place, but just before lap 4 everyone else will have to come in and pit. You will coast to an easy win with enough fuel and tires.
