Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge

NES cover artwork.

***Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge*** is a racing video game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Konami for MS-DOS, Commodore Amiga, Macintosh and the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991.

This game is the first video game to ever secure the NASCAR license. It features several real NASCAR tracks in the game, such as Watkins Glen and Talladega. This game is also the first to feature a real NASCAR driver in a PC game, Bill Elliott.

## Plot

Experience life in the fast lane!

Strap yourself into the first stock car race simulation that actually puts you behind the wheel and in complete control. Co-designed by NASCAR star Bill Elliott himself, this test of man and machine duplicates authentic racing from the working instrument gauges to racing strategies like drafting and the sling shot. It's so realistic you'll swear you can smell the infield barbecues!

Slide into the roll cage of one of three ground-pounding 650 horsepower beasts. Then go head-to-head with "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" and 14 of the nation's most relentless racers in three different skill levels. You'll face them in the Championship Season on the speed scorching banked ovals of Daytona and Talledega and the rubber-ripping corners of Sears Point and Watkins Glen. But test your skill and strategies in practice first. Or else you'll be stripped of your NASCAR license for good (what a disgrace).

But your adversaries are only half the battle. Depending on the type of track, you must decide between manual and automatic transmission, which engine, spoiler angle, gear ratio and tire stagger to use. Choose carefully, or you'll find yourself pacing the pits while your competitors are lapping you up.

You better feel the need for speed to enter the no guts, no glory world of NASCAR racing. Bill Elliott wouldn't steer you wrong, so be careful not to do it yourself!

## Gameplay

Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge is a racing game simulation of the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. Gameplay is always seen from an in-car perspective.

Before the race starts, players can choose their car. There are three different race cars to choose from: a Pontiac Grand Prix, a Ford Thunderbird, and a Chevrolet Lumina.

Players could choose to run single races at each track, or run for the season championship. The race distances ranged from 10 miles to a more realistic distance of 500 miles for the superspeedway races. In the MS-DOS version, the championship consists of a visit to each of the eight tracks. In the NES (and Game Boy) version, the season championship consists of each of the four tracks run twice, for a total of eight races. Championship points were awarded consistent to the real-life Winston Cup of the time.

## Contest

In 1991, Konami sponsored a contest where players could submit top scores for a chance to win a trip to the 1992 Daytona 500 to meet Bill Elliott, and a 1992 Ford Thunderbird. To enter, players were to send 35mm photographs of their final championship score using full race distances, manual transmission and regular damage settings.

## Gallery

### Packaging artwork

NES cover artworkMS-DOS Cover artworkAmiga cover artwork
## See also

* *Bill Elliott's NASCAR Fast Tracks* - Port/remake of this game for the Game Boy handheld console.
* *Bill Elliott's NASCAR Racing* (LCD game) - A dedicated LCD handheld version of this game by Konami.

## References

1. ↑ Background description from the back cover of the NES box.

## External links

* GameFAQs
* MobyGames