In N2003 bottoming out the car doesn't end up in disaster like it did in N2002. Sparks fly but it doesn't spin you around like it did before. Much more realistic according to what I've seen on TV. The setup options are almost the same as in N2002. You can now adjust camber in increments of 0.10 degrees and the limit is now 7.00 degrees compared to 5.00 in N2002. The choice of sway bars is also different than before; you can now fit a bigger bar at the front. I would have liked to have a possibility for changing brake balance during a race, but apparently there wasn't enough time for this. So the setups options are the same as in N2002, but don't try using your old setups, because they won't work. The improvements in physics means that you'll need to use different, more realistic setups; for example more forward weight and a bigger front sway bar. Getting the camber and especially the tyre pressures right is more important now, particularly for tyre wear. Even a small change can have a noticeable effect on the handling. In N2002 you had to use loose setups so that the car wouldn't start pushing bad later on. In N2003 if you get the tyre pressures right and get the handling neutral the car stays like that more than it did in N2002. You need to be careful on the first few laps though as the tyres are cold. Pushing the car and the tyres too hard in the beginning of a stint can lead to really bad tyre wear now; you need to keep an eye on the tyre temps. By taking things easier in the beginning you can improve your tyre wear a lot and be stronger on long runs.

The aerodynamics have also been changed and you can notice this well on faster tracks; get close behind another car and your car will push up towards the wall. If someone is riding on your rear bumper you'll get loose. These effects are much more noticeable than in N2002. It also seems like the outside line works better at some tracks than before, but still not as good as in real races, because the grip is the same all around the track. The weather also plays a big part on how the car handles. If you have realistic weather turned on, the wind will change speed and direction. I haven't noticed a change in ambient temperature in the races I've done so far, though. All this, the aero loose, aero push and changing weather means that it's very difficult to get a good setup together. The setup you made at 70 F, no wind will probably feel really different at changing weather and in traffic. This brings a big challenge to the driving and I can't wait to do some league races.

Another big challenge comes from the improved damage. In N2002 it was really relaxed and you could get away with big hits without affecting the speed of the car much. In N2003 if you even hit the wall just slightly you will bend the metal on the car. Slightly bigger hit and you've got damage which has a noticeable effect on the car's performance. Even repairing the car in the pits doesn't bring it back to the same level it was before. If you get involved in one of those big ones at the super speedways you can say goodbye to a good result.

Online multiplayer is another area where Papyrus is far ahead of the other developers. You can have online races between 40 players very smoothly if the server has enough bandwidth. The clients joining don't need a broadband connection to have a good racing experience although it certainly helps and reduces the "warping". There are a few new things in multiplayer in N2003. First of all the host can choose hardcore mode which forces cockpit view, windscreen build-up and realistic weather. The players can also vote on different things, like giving a certain player a lap back or removing his black flag. Multiplayer remains one of the biggest strong points in Papyrus' NASCAR series and it has been improved slightly in N2003.

There's still no save game feature during a race, which would have been useful for those who like to do long offline races during a championship for example. You can argue that it wouldn't be realistic, but a save game feature when pitting would have been a good idea in my opinion. I'm no painter, but from what I've seen the paint shop works the same way as in N2002, or alternatively you can use your favourite paint program and import your car to the game.

I went back to N2002 after playing N2003 for over a week and it was quite a shock. The car didn't feel good to drive, I was sliding all over the place and there didn't seem to be any feeling of grip and also the speed sensation wasn't as good as in N2003. It took a while to get used to it again for my league race. This gave me a good view on the biggest improvements in N2003, which are the physics including the bumps on the tracks, the improved damage model and of course the graphics effects including track lighting, shadows and sun effects. I was pretty happy with the update from N4 to N2002 but this is a bigger change thanks to the new physics. The car just feels so much better and enjoyable to drive, and I think this will also have a positive effect on online league races.

To conclude this review, NASCAR Racing 2003 Season is definitely the best racing simulation available and certainly worth the money even if you own the previous version. Even if you don't like NASCAR racing much you should check it out to see the best physics engine and multiplayer at work. I can't see any reason why the online community wouldn't take this sim and keep improving it for years to come like has happened with Grand Prix Legends. I'm certain that I'll be enjoying this title for a long time to come.