EA Sports' "NASCAR Thunder 2003" is a NASCAR fanatic's dream come true.

The sheer detail of this game surpasses all expectations, even though it involves driving in circles, which would seemingly be tedious. But fans who enjoy watching the bad boys of NASCAR rip it up on TV will love putting themselves into the driver's seat with this game.

"Thunder" surrounds players with the emotion, screeching sounds and fury of the high-speed risks and drama of becoming a NASCAR star.

Build the ultimate legacy by completely managing your team. Hire the pit crew, sign with sponsors, even build cars and compete for the Winston Cup in 20 consecutive seasons.

So kiss the outside world good-bye because gasoline will burn in the veins and the stench of burnt rubber will plague the living room for quite some time.

Complete with spectacular crashes, blown tires and numerous car parts breaking off onto the track causing damage to other vehicles, "Thunder" adds to the realism of the sport and captures it all and more. It even includes random pit mistakes that can make or break a race.

With nine road courses and all 23 NASCAR Winston Cup tracks, including the Daytona Beach road course from 1950, "Thunder" has enough variety to keep it from slamming into the wall.

For even longer replay value, EA Sports has included Lightning Mode, with more than 30 "Moment of the Race" scenarios featuring memorable action from actual NASCAR races. So strap into the driver's seat and relive the moment, either by changing history or preserving it.

As if that's not enough to keep gamers coming back, drivers can collect more than 100 plates to unlock all 175 cars, 60 events and 70 drivers.

But gamers must be good to collect those, so EA also has Thunder License mode, with interactive instruction from NASCAR's best drivers to teach beginners the driving lanes, break points and all the little nuances to becoming a pro.

With hard-hitting music, great graphics, realistic animation, replays and cockpit views colliding with fun game play, this game is a must-have for racing fans.

So if NASCAR is your passion, get the game, buy a pressure-sensitive steering wheel to replace the inadequate controller (it even comes with little foot pedals - how cute!), grab some beer and plop onto the couch for some NASCAR action that's even better than the real thing.

Then call Tony Stewart and tell him you kicked his ass in the Daytona 500. That punk.

This game is only for people who love racing games, the NASCAR franchise - and particular individuals with a serious case of road rage when driving the streets of East Lansing. Oh, and driving in circles hundreds of times. Others, stay clear and get out of the way.

If you like this game, you should also try: "F1 2002," (PS2) "Project Gotham Racing" (Xbox) and "RalliSport Challenge" (Xbox).