How to Play NASCAR 08 on Xbox 360

Ever dreamed of flying around the track with your NASCAR favorites like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson? NASCAR 08 on the Xbox 360 can help you live out that dream. NASCAR 08 is a video game that features realistic NASCAR conditions, and some professional drivers have used the game to learn tracks and their tendencies.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn your acceleration and brake buttons. On the Xbox 360, your accelerator is the right trigger and the brake is the left trigger. Unlike many unrealistic racing games, NASCAR 08 takes a balance of accelerating and braking. If you hold down the gas the whole time, you will end up spinning out or slamming into the wall.

2. Master your steering controls. The left analog stick is how you steer your vehicle. The steering is sensitive so if you have not played a realistic racing game, there is a significant learning curve. Your car will naturally pull a little left, which you can adjust with the steering trim option in the car setup screen. The steering lock adjusts how many degrees your front wheels can turn.

3. Adjust your linearity and responsiveness. Linearity adjusts the sensitivity of your steering controls and responsiveness adjusts the speed that your front wheels can physically turn. A lower linearity and responsiveness is a good place to start for beginners.

4. Get familiar with your vehicle telemetry visor (VTV). The VTV shows you all of the important information you need to know about your car and the race. In the lower right-hand corner, you will find your MPH and RPM. In the upper right-hand corner, you can find the water temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure and fuel gage. On the upper left-hand side of the screen, you will find the current lap, your position, the lap time and the split time. At the bottom of the screen, you will see your tire wear.

5. Pick your race mode. You can do the Chase mode, which will let you earn contracts and get picked up by a team to race with. The Season mode allows you to run a full NASCAR season as your favorite driver. The Toyota Racing mode will challenge you with mini-games and let you test and tune different cars and tracks. You can also play online against others with NASCAR 08 on Xbox Live.

Tips & Warnings

• If you get the chance, try out the Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel. This will let you feel more in the driver's seat with more realistic controls and force feedback.
• While the VTV is vital to winning races, don't forget your heads-up-display. You can access your HUD with the "X" button. Your HUD shows you a track map, plus your vital car statistics.