Peak NASCAR - NR2003

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Peak NASCAR - NR2003

Рет қаралды 38,701

Күн бұрын

We couldn't have known it at the time because it seemed like it would never end, but the mid 2000s were NASCAR (and racing's) peak in popularity in the United States. It seemed everywhere you went and everything you watched included something NASCAR related. Many were critical at the time of the route NASCAR was going appealing to the mainstream, but looking back at this period it is undeniable that it was incredibly exciting and fun.
For myself I remember this period best because of NASCAR Racing 2003, the last in Papyrus' long line of NASCAR Racing sims. So lets go for a race at the peak and relive the season finale of 2005 at Homestead Miami Speedway!
SnG 2005 Mod - stunodracing.net/index.php?re...
Homestead 2003 Track - www.dropbox.com/sh/mx0hnq93c3....
To purchase a cockpit set up
like mine or any other Next Level Racing® products, check out NextLevelRacing.com
Email - gplaps67@gmail.com
Discord - / discord
Twitter - / gplapsjake
0:00 Intro
2:30 Race
32:04 Final Thoughts

Пікірлер: 193

@CrazyChase12345 2 жыл бұрын

you know a game is truly good when it is still being played and supported by a community nearly 20 years after it was made.

@I-am-Josh 2 жыл бұрын

This, GPL, F1C, GP4. Man sims from the late 90s to early 2000s really had something special.

@edwardburek1717 2 жыл бұрын

And you know this game is really good when GPLaps does a retrospective in widescreen format. Great stuff.

@Samm0513 2 жыл бұрын

even live for speed has a big playerbase

@81casperflip Жыл бұрын

Do you think Nascar Heat 5 will still be played 20 years from now 😅

@ishanm0328 Жыл бұрын

I played this game for the first time since I was in 4th grade. I'm currently a senior in college and I still check nnracing every day for a new paint scheme

@bduddy55555 2 жыл бұрын

It's sad that the racing I loved as a kid, not even that young of a kid, is firmly in the "great things that are gone and will probably never come back" category.

@Fastbikkel 2 жыл бұрын

Now i've never played this nascar version, i played other great racegames out there and i totally recognize ya. Especially with online racing.

@evanwilliams6406 2 жыл бұрын

That's what I feel, the NASCAR I grew up with went away about 20-some years ago, it isn't the same after NASCAR and the TV Networks took over and a bunch of men in suits told them how to run things. Some of it remains but I am not as passionate about the sport or have as much interest in it as I used to. I'd like to see a return to the glory days but I don't think that we will ever go back to that.

@threepea1151 2 жыл бұрын

It’s called NextGen

@bduddy55555 2 жыл бұрын

@@threepea1151 LMAO, no, not even remotely close.

@threepea1151 2 жыл бұрын

@@bduddy55555 I think everyone can agree the 2000s racing wasn’t the best

@tony_mac24 2 жыл бұрын

nr2003 really captured the thrill and spirit of the sport back when it was released in ‘03 and it still does even up to this day - that’s how great this game is

@JTeam45 2 жыл бұрын

Now, I was a NASCAR Thunder 2004 kid myself, but I think we can all stand together united and say that 2003 was just THE YEAR for NASCAR games in general.

@mjqt9921 2 жыл бұрын

Amen to that! It's funny, I only played Thunder as a kid, and have only discovered NR2003 in the past few years 😆

@Vogurt Жыл бұрын

Yeah, NASCAR and iRacing need to come together and create a single player experience akin to Nascar thunder 2004's career mode but with iracings sim.

@computiNATEor 2 жыл бұрын

I played this game for untold hours on Saturday mornings, as this was the last NASCAR game available for Mac 😂

@computiNATEor 2 жыл бұрын

What a great finish! Masterfully done

@justin________7477 2 жыл бұрын

The longevity and fanbase for NR2003 says it all. The pinnacle of NASCAR sim racing, and really about the same for NASCAR itself.

@wassey5066 2 жыл бұрын

I love that intro feels like a documentary

@xxarbiterislifexx1800 2 жыл бұрын

The one game you can do modified‘s around Toledo, COT on the old 2008 Daytona, and drive Indycars around Riverside. I love it, probably the best Nascar game/sim ever.

@_wyans 2 жыл бұрын

Re-living vintage NASCAR is the best reason to use NR2003; it truly holds up. Also, Fred Jones is a genuine legend, we need a Darlington throwback car for him.

@henrychapman4298 2 жыл бұрын

NR2003 is undefeated. I've spent countless hours playing and it never gets old.

@JReaLBiz86 2 жыл бұрын

Besides Gran Turismo, which basically taught me how to race, this game was my education. I still have a copy today, although I play enough Assetto Corsa that I haven't dusted off the gloves on it in a while. It's incredible, watching you run this race and remembering how paper thin the limit is when you're pushing, and how incredibly well-programmed the AI is racing around you, something I STILL don't think many sims get right. There are some games that will go down in history as "the best the genre had to offer". NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, in the pantheon of racing and driving simulators, will make the top 5. I'm not sure, with the direction some developers are taking, that we'll ever come across such a humble title with such a major impact on simulated racing.

@mjqt9921 2 жыл бұрын

1000% agreed. And NR2003 is especially deserving of the title "one of the best" when you consider it's nearly 20 years old, and was so effective within the constraints of the time!

@mjqt9921 2 жыл бұрын

As a youngster, this was the era of NASCAR I had SO MUCH fun watching. Such a treat to relive it in NR2003!

@homestar2112 2 жыл бұрын

Just seeing that Dupont paint scheme takes me back...

@piloticle2445 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video man, you really nailed what makes Nr2003 so good! Also, thank you so much for using my soundpack! :D

@Doob601 Жыл бұрын

Whats the soundpack i gotta know and do you know if the tire sounds are edited in or also a soundpack

@SideWaysiscool 2 жыл бұрын

If you think about it, NR2003 is really NASCAR's Richard Burns Rally. Such a good game.

@yodatw 2 жыл бұрын

Back when Nascar sims were great and FUN!

@daboiracing3848 2 жыл бұрын

Even Nascar Sim racing was better then theses new games! XD

@Strelok762 2 жыл бұрын

The greatest NASCAR sim!

@BlueJimmie48Fan 2 жыл бұрын

I remember spending countless hours playing NR2003 with this 2005 set on my old PC before it broke. *Memories* 😢

@tombskater3000 2 жыл бұрын

Now we're grinding e-commerce on a 2014 Windows 8 laptop telling ourselves that one day we'll get a new rig.

@hughjass5156 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I dont think young people really understand just how big NASCAR was in the early 2000's. Every single race packed to the rafter, and about half of all the pickup trucks in the country had someones number decal'd in the back window. Although I grew out of nascar pretty fast, and into open wheel, nascar is what got me into racing in the first place.

@doppelpunkt 2 жыл бұрын

when and why did it change?

@Toxic2T 2 жыл бұрын

@@doppelpunkt Probs Dale Sr death and the retirement of Gen 4 cars.

@hughjass5156 2 жыл бұрын

@@doppelpunkt A lot of people point to the introduction of the chase as the beginning of the downward slide for the sport as a whole. With good reason I think.

@KevinJL 2 ай бұрын

Yep after Adam Petty and Dale Sr. my interest changed. Chase and crap tracks didn't help get me back.

@TRD_Kyle 2 жыл бұрын

So much nostalgia wrapped into one video. Never actually played NR2003 but this is right when I started watching Nascar as a kid and continued to watch into the "Car of Tomorrow" era where faded out of fandom. Now having moved on from Nascar this video really makes me want to try out NR2003 and experience that fandom once again from when I was playing games like Nascar Dirt to Daytona, Thunder 2003 & 2004 on my gamecube & PS2 and probably driving around the track backwards more than forwards at the time.

@iannolan2979 2 жыл бұрын

I hold some weird nostalgia with this game. I didn’t have a PC back in the day so Thunder 2003 was my game as a kid. But since I’ve started playing NR2003 recently I pick up the same nostalgia with this. It’s the same era. Done better. And I love it

@daboiracing3848 2 жыл бұрын

I did 100 laps at Iowa, with the xfinity cars on iracing! GREAT FUN! you dont need to change tires but... if you don't you getting run down FAST!

@JURacing 2 жыл бұрын

Living in Europe where NASCAR of course didn't happen, it was always a bit hard to understand. But you captured the fascination quite well. Great video!

@sauldula 2 жыл бұрын

The best video game channel out there. Love the F1, Indy, and NASCAR nostalgia. The targa florio episode was amazing. Respect

@gary24fan 2 жыл бұрын

The paint schemes were some of the best of the day too, with recognizable names like Budweiser, Home Depot, GM Goodwrench, DuPont, and Lowe's. No fly-by-night internet domains that make you wonder what they actually do/sell and no "service organizations" with questionable political motives. Also the AI for the day seems accurate. Jeff Gordon falling back, while I'm sure Robbie Loomis is on the pit box chewing his nails trying to decide what to do LOL.

@user-hk1fx4in6c 2 жыл бұрын

Wow that pit stop animation was actually quite impressive

@paulanstey4577 2 жыл бұрын

Wow. I must get this game. Still looks good nearly 20 years after its release. Being from the UK I know very little about NASCAR and oval racing. Videos like gt his make want to find out more about it. To ebay to find a copy of this game. Thanks for all your great videos. Best sim racing content on the ointerweb :)

@swagger2009 2 жыл бұрын

See kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ateonqyX1bmcY4k.html

@Jeb4100 2 жыл бұрын

you dont need Ebay. the game is completely free

@FossTelevision 2 жыл бұрын

Man, I just played NR2003 for the first time yesterday and then you upload a video... I feel like the main character of a sitcom.

@rondee 2 жыл бұрын

The sim I had most fun with. Absolute masterpiece.

@MrPens87 2 жыл бұрын

Can I just say something? I’ve grown up a NASCAR fan all my life. I started sim racing in 2009 using a USB Xbox Controller. Got my first wheel in 2011, and started league racing online online in 2012. All on NR2003. I’m sitting in my rig currently and was debating on running some Endurance stuff in AMS2 or Miata’s in iRacing when I saw this video. Sim racing has shown me and let me understand and appreciate all forms of racing, both asphalt and dirt. Closed and open wheel. Oval and road course. But NR is where this all started. This took me back to my roots as both a kid with a rainbow 24 themed room with way too many diecasts but also later as a teenager with an old cheap Laptop modding the crap out of this game. I’m an IndyCar fan first but still love the heck out of NASCAR. And this reminds me why. Thank you for this. This is the video I never knew I needed.

@idontneedthis66 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome race man, congrats. And excellent camera work on this one!

@desmondtorres191 2 жыл бұрын

This video was amazing I watched flag to flag would love see you do more NR2003 content !

@giovannifebus3700 2 жыл бұрын

I remember the i used to watch crash compilations videos of this game. It was the only thing that i watched on YT every day at that time.

@stoneyzamboni 2 жыл бұрын

I was lucky enough to go to both Atlanta races in 2005. Saw Carl Edwards sweep the weekend. Awesome couple of years.

@jc1424 2 жыл бұрын

I finally just found a mint condition box set of this game and ordered it. Never played it before, just grew up with Thunder 2004. I'm not into the modding stuff, but I do recognize how much the community is. Wish NASCAR would ditch the playoff gimmicks, the only thing that drives me away still.

@rfratelli 2 жыл бұрын

I must admit I wasn't fan of nascar back then so I had nr2003 only to use the GTP mod. Those group C cars were awesome as well!

@randomCADstuff 2 жыл бұрын

If you manage to set the AI up so you're really having to dig to get a top ten, it ends up being a really gratifying experience. It was hard to get the AI just right.

@King1614 Жыл бұрын

I found a physics package that is the CTS physics and cup car HP. Put that with the well tuned custom tracks, custom sound packs, it’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had.

@tmoshamo 2 жыл бұрын

This is the asmr of sim racing youtube😎 thank you for the videos✌

@kristianvanvliet4821 2 жыл бұрын

What a throw back,, can't believe how much fun it was just watching!

@nettoflorestal 2 жыл бұрын

I still playing NR2003. This means a lot.

@thedirtybubble9613 2 жыл бұрын

I actually went to Homestead in the early-mid 2000s. The track was outstanding at the time when they added banking to it.

@hexenmotorsport 2 жыл бұрын

Fred Jones is forever.

@racinnut77 2 жыл бұрын

Between the mods and tracks I've downloaded, and the cars I've painted I doubt I'll ever stop playing N2003.

@chrisbloom382 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoy disabling cautions in NR2003. Certainly makes one more circumspect when it comes to iffy moves and as you mentioned Jake, it makes for interesting strategy game particularly on the super speedways where you need to hook up with other cars. Actually think I'm going to do that right now!

@thedirtybubble9613 2 жыл бұрын

I had NR2002 at the time and would play online with other people. Man Papyrus was amazing and then they got bought out by EA Sports. It was down hill from there. I never got around to NR2003 because my PC was not compatible with it's outdated graphics card. It had a Pentium 3 800 MHz processor, ATI Radeon video card and 256 MB RAM in 2003 and that was the bare minimum needed for NR2003 to run properly. Freaking amazing graphics, sound, physics all around that Papyrus did though. No Nascar video game TO THIS DAY has come close to mimicking it except for maybe iRacing.

@lottieluna123 2 жыл бұрын

01 Army Chevy was Nemechek in 2005. He took that car over in 2003 after being laid off by Hendrick and had that duel with Rudd in the 21 at Kansas in 04. Also for the 05 Finale Kenny Wallace drove the 97, Kurt had been sacked by Roush at Phoenix.

@MichaelVLang 2 жыл бұрын

There were some great road tracks for this one, real and imagined. Gotta get back into this.

@kzamart 2 жыл бұрын

so much nostalgia tied up in nr2002 and 2003, for me.

@mattmattmatt131313 2 жыл бұрын

The AI is so well behaved, it really surprised me compared to some other sims.

@unitoftemp 2 жыл бұрын

My childhood. The #24 Dupont and the #20 Home Depot.

@edgarmorenocastillo8601 Жыл бұрын

Indiana's very own😌

@jrfan07 2 жыл бұрын

I raced in various online leagues in this game from 2008-2011, the leagues then were still quite sizable and it was no trouble to find competitive fields of over 25 cars in a bunch of different places. It's been a while but I would love to get back into it, and its cool to see the NR2003 community just as strong as ever.

@TheLastoftheFourMKs 2 жыл бұрын

This would be a good fit for the Axelsonverse

@claudiof9660 2 жыл бұрын

Great race, keep them coming!

@TheBossLegacy 2 жыл бұрын

Ahh What A coincedence i just uploaded a vid for this my self lol

@mrbismarck 2 жыл бұрын

Mark Martin provided some stiff competition there, making it really hard to get around.

@RickBarton 2 жыл бұрын

Heck of a race!

@DadsGarageDIY 2 жыл бұрын

That was a lot of fun to watch. Better than "real" NASCAR these days.

@dathyr1 3 ай бұрын

I also spent many hours with NR2003 on the online "FREE" Sierra Servers, then IRacing came along and spoiled a good thing. I have NR2003 and GPL installed on my windows 10 PC with software allowing me to do so. This game seems to still have life in it with leagues still going and mods, tracks, and cars being made. Now will this new Nascar game for the PC coming out in 2025 being spearheaded by IRacing developers and another group be as good as NR2003, we shall see. It is going to be hard to beat the NR2003 game. Thanks for the video and take care.

@Edward135i 2 жыл бұрын

From 6th grade - my senior year in highschool my dad took me to the Vegas race every year during this time I have a lot of nostalgia for this era of NASCAR. for me this time, IS NASCAR. everything after might as well been a bunch of Indy drivers I'd never heard of.

@staunchx Жыл бұрын

Just started playing this game, and man is it addicting! This is the first Nascar game ive played where i truly feel like im in a real race. Definitely a learning curve in this game though. The game physics dont hold your hand. Quite a rush when you start getting good though (or at least stop getting blown off the track within 10 laps).

@ActionRacingNetwork 2 жыл бұрын

Gp Laps the 01 car was driven by Joe Nemacheck in 2005

@NHR_Music 2 жыл бұрын

Just played this game again yesterday. It's still so much damn fun!

@Toxic2T 2 жыл бұрын

Same here just reinstalled after the Nascar Heat fiasco

@MegaZombieDeath Жыл бұрын

Great video! I just reinstalled my copy and for some reason this video showed up as recommended. I am glad I watched. Just, as a Robby Gordon fan, that scheme, whatever is going on there, is offensive. Lol.

@trombley9287 2 жыл бұрын

Nice Video :D More Nascar pls 🙏

@swagger2009 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. I re-installed NR2003 recently and have been enjoying it. Curious to know what you have the AI set to, and whether you are using custom AI that could be shared. Also are you using any special setups? And finally if you don't mind, can you share what your graphics settings / tweaks are? The cars and tracks look terrific in your videos. Love your content, please keep it coming. Thanks

@sevach 2 жыл бұрын

Somehow i remember this game looking much better. Still aces in my book.

@sameer5634 2 жыл бұрын

Great , very realistic gameplay , some isle of man tt classic bikes would be great for next vid

@Stug9680 2 жыл бұрын

Best Nascar game of all times. I play it for 20 years.

@camerongreenwoodcrampakacgc. Ай бұрын

Peak NASCAR indeed.

@KevinJL 2 ай бұрын

I'm just left with memories at this point.

@Snookie1988 2 жыл бұрын

I had my most thrilling races in NR2002 and 2003... And I wasn't even a big Nascar fan

@murfenator82 2 жыл бұрын

Peak Nascar was the mid 1990's for sure. Although these early 2000 years were great. Btw, I don't know how you drive this! I really want to drive NR2003, but its so hard to find the edge of grip and how the car can change over a run ends up with me spinning no matter what lol...Even with good setups. I guess I should try the truck physics...

@GPLaps 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah the physics definitely make it hard to ride on the edge of grip. I almost lost it a couple of times in this one too. In my mind i have to try to drive it from the right rear tire, or atleast thats what helps me feel it out. In the end I think it actually makes me understeer the car on purpose.

@GPLaps 2 жыл бұрын

Oh also agree, ~92 - 98 were definitely my favorite years, but the ratings do no lie, 2005/2006 were the "biggest" from that standpoint

@murfenator82 2 жыл бұрын

@@GPLaps Which is weird because after Earnhardt died a ton of people quick watching.

@jasonhubbard5422 2 жыл бұрын

I love this game. And this video is EPIC. I really dig your story telling style approach. I recently discovered this game again. Have you tried any of the other mods? The older cars like 90s Lumina and earlier? I also just bought a Fanatec CSL DD and will install this weekend. I hope this game plays well with it.

@tradesman1000 2 жыл бұрын

Still the best nascar title made I think. They nailed the physics especially the aerodynamics.

@woj6662 2 жыл бұрын

The intro just screams ‘MERICA!!!

@BlueCJ 2 жыл бұрын

Tried it out again and wanted to learn how to drive 'em and not just crash every time the green flag comes out, now I'm enjoying it so much!

@cvtt3194 11 ай бұрын

Back when america was a great place, before the bubble burst. Good times, I had this game as a kid and I was terrible at it.

@abbadon894 2 жыл бұрын

Woah, I discovered this sim maybe a month ago and I'm playing it now. Manage to do 15,747 on Bristol, and it feels like a huge achievement. By the way, racing AI on 98% on this track is quite tough, any higher and they are crashing a lot and cause yellow flags

@BigMerc747 2 жыл бұрын

Have you tried leagues yet?

@abbadon894 2 жыл бұрын

@@BigMerc747 No, I was playing on xbox controller for a while instead of a wheel, and I'm more a hotlapper than racer in general, so I'm quite afraid of causing not necessary collisions

@bungieman2810 Жыл бұрын

Just a heads up for this mod: Kurt Busch's car is from 2004. You can find his 2005 car on Stunod Racing.

@scottygdaman Жыл бұрын

whew..thought you and Burton would cause a cowtion

@81casperflip Жыл бұрын

I wish Papyrus could have made just one more game. Would have had the chase points system and who knows what game improvements, on the other hand it would only have had 3 car models most likely

@leonardoholanda2250 2 жыл бұрын

NASCAR IGNITION é uma TRAGÉDIA 🤦🏻‍♂️

@BLOODVETTEL 2 жыл бұрын

Man, such an intro.

@mattmattmatt131313 2 жыл бұрын

YEARS SINCE LAST GOOD NASCAR GAME: 19 :(

@chrisbrazezicke5745 2 жыл бұрын

Dude you gotta do a graphics tutorial, you got that game lookin clean 🔥

@andreacarlisi4908 Жыл бұрын

Nice video, thank you for sharing! Your dash and tachometer look pretty well done, are they part of the 2005 mod you are using or can be found elsewhere?

@jorrisuwu6325 3 ай бұрын

I was wondering too, does anyone know where it can be find?

@reggieclayton4216 Жыл бұрын

I wish that splash N go could have made a 2006,2007,and a 2005 Busch series mod version as well as the 2006 Kevin Harvick Reese's Cookies Phoenix template.

@mcfireballs3491 2 жыл бұрын

Lol for some reason I thought the yellow commentary booth in the thumbnail was a yellow truck flying on its side above the track 😐🤪

@RacingWithChuck27 2 жыл бұрын

Nice! I really enjoyed this, although Nascar4 I preferred the feel. IRacing’s nascar I really don’t care for, trucks are good

@1166crash 2 жыл бұрын

I wish I could play this. Never got the chance

@TheTotallyRealXiJinping 2 жыл бұрын

I still run this game with triple monitors

@Skeeeewoah Ай бұрын

GP, you should go do an online league race for NR2003 sometime. There's tons and they're pretty competitive

@MustangFastback Жыл бұрын

I guess im off to ebay now to find a copy

@makb_the_striker 2 жыл бұрын

If NASCAR remove stages, add more short traks and obsession of pack racing every weekend it will return to the top. France family buried organization themselves

@VonBlade 2 жыл бұрын

One of the big problems with modern NASCAR is the paint scheme stuff. I know sponsorship is hard to come by, but (and given Darlington I know I'll get hate for this example) but I cheer for whomever is in the Pennzoil car. Currently Logano but during the abysmal coverage you look for the yellow and he's in a Red throwback, and next week look for the yellow and he's in a blue AAA. And he's a big name, it must be murder following a midfield driver. But in the early 00s you knew who was in what, every week.