As a strong supporter of EA, I can honestly say I was disappointed with
NASCAR 2001. No matter which raceway you choose, the game slows down and gets choppy whenever you have your mirror enabled and also whenever you seem to drive by the grandstands. This is almost as annoying as the yellow caution flags that get waved in your face for
multiple laps. Thankfully, you have the option to turn off caution flags, because leaving them on makes for a very boring time where you cannot control your car and are forced to wait it out.
NASCAR 2001 actually really only offers two modes of play: Season and Exhibition. The cool thing is that you and a bud can actually play a season together. In Season Mode, you will have the option to play a full 20-race season, a 12-race season, or you can choose from any one of three different 4-race quick seasons. Then within each race you will have the option to race all laps or a percent of them to shorten the race time. If you're into racing, you'll be happy to know that included in NASCAR 2001 are 37 real-life drivers, 12 real tracks (including Daytona, Darlington, etc.), and real teams, announcers, manufacturers, and sponsors.
Despite my criticism, there are some nice effects in the game. NASCAR 2001 does a pretty good job of true-to-life simulation of physics, and you will have to constantly get used to changing conditions (mostly from tire wear) in order to be king of the road. Other cool effects include car damage, debris, oil fires, sparks, and engine breakdowns. My personal favorite is driving through the smoke caused by cars ahead of you. In a true Days of Thunder sort of way, you will be driving blind through the possible wreckage ahead.
