Like most racing games, NASCAR 25 arrives with a familiar promise: to put you in the driver’s seat as a rookie who ultimately reaches stardom. You start your career in the Arca Menards series, earning your way through the ranks to reach NASCAR Cup Series glory. After a string of forgettable and buggy releases, though, a lot was riding on this year’s release to deliver the experience fans have been yearning for. Fortunately, iRacing delivered on most fronts.
Climbing The Ranks
At its core, NASCAR 25’s career mode is a love letter to the grind of becoming a racing legend. It’s not a new concept by any means, as many racing games have done it before. However, the framing around Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s rise from a promising rookie to a Hall of Famer sets the right tone, and it works. As the game weaves bits of history, anecdotes, and motivation into the journey, you get a sense of personality and heritage true to NASCAR.
Starting small, you work from a modest garage and get a taste of competition in the ARCA Menards Discovery Race at Rockingham Speedway. From there, it’s a climb through the ranks, race by race, sponsorship by sponsorship. Each event earns Reputation points based not just on placement, but on how cleanly and efficiently you drive. The game rewards precision and almost punishes reckless bumping with performance hits and expensive repair bills.
It’s surprising just how good the progression system here is. Each victory feels earned, whether pulling a top-10 finish with an underfunded team or signing your first big sponsorship deal. You can hire or fire staff to improve your garage’s performance and fine-tune repair times. It’s a fairly simple management system, but it adds just enough depth to make you feel like a team owner rather than just a driver.
Racing That Feels Right
Previous games in the series had somewhat floaty controls and awkward handling quirks, but NASCAR 25 fixes that. There’s a certain heft to the cars, and they feel tight and responsive. They strike a good balance between sim realism and accessible fun here, something that makes or breaks a game like this. On a wheel, the game is intense, and on a controller, it’s smooth yet challenging.
With every small input that matters, nailing a lap at Daytona or clawing your way through the pack at COTA feels genuinely thrilling. There’s no rewind feature here, so if you make a mistake, you restart. The accessibility also deserves some praise here. You can shorten races to quick 7% for fast sessions, or go all-in on full-length races with realistic damage, cautions, and tire wear. If you’re interested, check out our best career mode settings for NASCAR 25.
Atmosphere, Sound, And Authenticity
One of the most impressive things about NASCAR 25 is its presentation. From the roar of engines echoing through each track to the way the sunlight hits the bodywork, it feels like a proper NASCAR experience. The lighting and reflections on the cars look excellent, and the track surfaces feel dynamic enough to change how you approach each turn as tires wear down and temperatures shift.
The sense of scale and spectacle around race day is also a big improvement. With crews bustling and commentators chiming in with their chatter, you get the feel that you’re part of something bigger. Career Mode particularly feels alive because of the social media system. Rivals react to your on-track antics, sponsors shift their tone depending on results, and your reputation matters for contracts.
Sound design also deserves some recognition here. Each car type has its own engine note and tone, from the raw growl of lower-tier ARCA cars to the thunderous rumble of Cup Series machines.
A Step Forward
NASCAR 25 is easily the best the series has felt in years, and yes, the career mode is worth your time. The meaningful progression, great gameplay, and excellent presentation all come together to create a fantastic experience. While the online lobbies are hilariously bad right now due to inexperienced drivers, the career mode offers enough fun for most players.
