NASCAR Racing Online Series...

Pro Online Racing.
"Racing against real people makes NROS very unpredictable. You need to have complete concentration." —Nim Cross, NROS Beta Tester.

Imagine you're Terry Labonte. You've just completed the final race of the NASCAR Winston Cup season and earned enough total points to guarantee yourself the overall series championship. You're celebrating your success by taking a victory lap with your brother, Bobby, who just earned the right to hoist the checkered flag at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The fans are cheering and chanting your name, knowing they are witnessing one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR's history. Victory is sweet because it's yours. Quit dreaming, because now any computer owner can take a shot at victory in a NASCAR sanctioned race. The newly formed NASCAR Racing Online Series (NROS) is the first professional sport ever created in the online world. The only thing not professional about is that you don't get paid— sorry. It does, however, give ANYONE the change to test their simulation driving skills against the best in NASCAR's newest, fully sanctioned racing league— NASCAR Racing Online Series. This is real racing against real opponents for high stakes. It isn't just a game. The NROS is the 13th racing series completely sanctioned and governed by the same group that organizes the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the other NASCAR races you've seen on TV. When you compete online in the NROS, you become a real competitive driver just like Jeff Gordon and the Labonte brothers. You compete in a professional sport that is not just for professionals anymore.

Vision & Power Papyrus' Ed Martin is the man who brought the NASCAR Racing Online Series to life. He has spent the better part of the last three years plotting and planning with legends of NASCAR like Bill France Jr., NASCAR VP of Marketing and Communications Brian France—the man who dreamed up the NROS—and VP of Competition Mike Helton. Martin serves as NROS Director and will be in charge of assessing penalties, passing judgment on close finishes, and making sure there's an equal level of competition in every race. "Working with some of the most influential people in car racing today has made me realize even more what a big deal NROS is," says Martin about creating an altogether new professional sport. "We are giving NASCAR 2 users a chance to race in a genuine NASCAR-sanctioned series," says Martin. Suddenly people have the chance to live out their dreams of owning, managing, and driving for their very own NASCAR team.

How Does NROS Work?

To begin your "career" as an online NASCAR driver, you must first have NASCAR Racing 2, Papyrus' critically acclaimed stock car racing sim. There are two modes in NASCAR Racing 2—Arcade Mode and Realistic Mode. The Arcade Mode is a great way for new users of the simulator to get up to speed. It creates a level playing field for all of the racers on the track. Racers aren't affected in the same way as real drivers in terms of track conditions and wear and tear on their car. Arcade Mode makes it really hard to blow the competition away. It's the Realistic mode that draws all the hard-core race fanatics. Here you'll find the Gordon and Labonte wannabees. In Realistic mode, if your shock settings and weight balance aren't correctly distributed, you won't whip through turns and leave the competition behind. It's accelerated through the turns that separates the victors from the also-rans. Let's face it, anyone can drive fast on the straightaway; the heros of NASCAR dominate the turns. Why should anything be different in the simulator? NROS takes into account that there are all different levels of drivers. There are those who prefer the consistent competition of Arcade Mode and those who thrive on the realism and spontaneity of the Realistic mode. Every driver is rated somewhere between skill levels 0-15. This ensures that you're always driving against other drivers with relatively the same level of skill. On the Arcade side, there are three divisions based totally on skill level: Rookie, Amateur, and Pro. The distinction between the three is small because of the nature of the Arcade mode, a level playing field for all drivers. The Realistic mode is different in many ways. If you think you're good, you'll find out quickly in Realistic mode just how good. if you stink, there's no hiding it. The Realistic side is divided into five divisions depending on skill level: Professional, Semi-Pro, Intermediate, Amateur, and Rookie. The powers that be at NROS continuously watch your performance. As you improve, so does your competition.