Stern

Nascar

Pinside Rating

This game received 140 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.346 _/10

7.346

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #205 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.666

Artwork: 6.895

Sounds/Music: 6.697

Other Aspects: 7.447

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.

6.699

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Found 81 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 81 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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6.955/10

7 years ago

JCM

BulkOfTheSeries

907 Pinball Project

Anchorage, AK

9y 45,150 264 15 11

I picked up a NASCAR a month or so ago and now I feel like I can review it. To keep it short, I think the game plays better than it looks or sounds. The playfield itself looks good, I like the layout. Shots are still satisfying, especially the right side of the playfield. I love the 3 drops as a big part of the game.

I think the animations are underrated and would (will?) take on new life with a colorDMD. The ball lock ramp is cool, the hauler miles rules are a nice attainable grind, and modes like Speed Shots and Victory Lap are still as fun as they were the first time.

The car bash toy is cool it works and it's not a real killer like so many center bash toys are, but it's awfully bland looking. How more effort wasn't put into dressing it up, I do not know. When I got the game I was dreading having to do a repair on the hauler truck in the back left but was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to access. Other than standard pains of ramp removal, appears to be an easy game to work on. Getting the test car to NOT kick down the middle is THE important adjustment.

The ball launch circling the table is cool for sure, but it's best use is in a few modes where you have to hit a shot to release it from the track. On the plunge it's all novelty and results in no skill shot, which is a bit of a bummer.

Some sounds during gameplay are fantastic (like the hauler, the orbit shot or scanner) while others are not so awesome (music in general and the 'announcer')

The low point has to be the translite and the multiball music, which is just atrocious. It would be far better if it were just a roaring crowd and the sound of the jets flying over when you hit jackpots. Cabinet art is bland but not nearly as offensive as the terrible translite. Lastly, this may be nitpicking, but I hate the center drain hole. It's gaping and ugly and stares at you. I gotta think there was a better way to do that.

Overall I think it's a good player and at the going rate it's quite a nice buy if you can get one in good condition. High point is gameplay, low point is THAT MULTIBALL SONG and translite. The sound is both good and bad depending on what you're doing in the moment. This game is never to be confused for a classic table but is certainly not a dog either, and I think it takes some undeserved grief.

BulkOfTheSeries currently owns this game.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

6.178/10

7 years ago

AWT

wtuttle

Tuttle Pinball

9y 93,550 394 4 61

The 'loop' shot really impressed me when I first got in to pin. This can be fun. The one I had access to had many mechanical issues, so perhaps I'd alter my review if I were playing on a better-maintained machine.
It's in the Buffalo 'Turdament' for a reason...

5.461/10

7 years ago

AGB

Ramtuathal

Pinside member

Louisville, KY

8y 63,650 123 1 148

NASCAR has some interesting features (the outer "race track" loop, the rotating car obstacles in the truck at the back of the left ramp, the rising and lowering car / garage toy in the center) but the game rules are ho-hum and the theme isn't for me. I did note that the game seemed to be thoughtfully designed. The drops on the right serve as the multiplier that most games have as lit rollovers towards the upper PF (usually by some pop - but the designers moved away from this format, which is generally good because it shows that they were actually trying to build a better mouse trap). For all of its interesting pieces, I just didn't get excited about my game and the shots were just sort of "sure, why not" feeling. Overall, an original and thoughtful design, but not dynamic or complex enough for me.

It's worth dropping a few quarters into on location to see the racing ball (think Getaway HS2 but expand the loop all the way around the playfield), but I'd imagine that only the most die-hard NASCAR racing fans will want this game in their collection for its theme alone.

Ramtuathal has owned this game in the past.

8.000/10

7 years ago

DDW

sohchx

Pinside member

9y 87,050 2,259 76

Nascar bores me in general as a sport, but this game..... I like it ALLOT!! The call outs are great, music, and best of all I love when the ball takes laps around the playfield. Definitely near the top of my want list.

8.668/10

7 years ago

MDS

Pinterest

Pinside member

10y 73,900 932 4 22

This game is definitely a "sleeper" - - one that does not command it's worth as yet!

Pinterest has this game on the wishlist.

7.009/10

7 years ago

???

AllinOneShot

Pinside member

Titusville, FL

7y 20,250 5 47

Great Machine. The interactive ball lap is great. This machine seems outdated for 2006, but overall isn't a bad game.

AllinOneShot edited previous rating on July 11, 2016.
AllinOneShot has owned this game in the past.

6.162/10

7 years ago

DOC

drsfmd

Pinside member

10y 76,550 3,156 108

This pin has the typical cheap feel and bad artwork that we have come to tolerate from Stern. The racetrack ball-release gimmick is pretty darn cool. Otherwise, this pin is totally forgettable.

7.580/10

8 years ago

AMK

amkoepfer

Pinside member

Toledo, OH

9y 162K 4,922 23 51

One of my favorite stern games

amkoepfer has this game on the wishlist.

7.208/10

8 years ago

JAM

jroakland

Pinside member

Oakland, CA

13y 60,050 106 7 111

i played it on location a few times,i thought it was good, nice flow...i like the ball doin the loop,it gives it the nascar feel,the machines i played were solid ,top 150 yes top 100 no, it seems to me it could b rated better or i need more time on it, all in all good game,not a keeper for me...

8.196/10

8 years ago

CET

Ven

Pinside+ Frequent

Carlyle, IL

10y 71,800 452 20 18 1

I got Nascar on a trade fully expecting to move it out of the collection quickly but it has turned out to be a much better machine that I thought it would be. It's fast, has a pretty good ruleset and is a hard game to put up good scores on. The outer track/shooter lane that goes around the outside of the PF is one of the coolest features I have seen in a pin. Between the scoop, the testcar and the outer track multiballs are chaos on this machine and multiballs are usually fairly short "for me at least". I have yet to get CHAMP1 mode started but I keep trying.

Not sure how long Nascar will stay in the collection but like I said it is much better than expected.

Ven has owned this game in the past.

7.592/10

8 years ago

AMK

OrdealByFire

Inactive member

New Baltimore, MI

8y 23,650 57 43

I was surprised to see this was made in 2005... it does feel a bit dated, but it still plays very well despite that. I'm no fan of NASCAR, but this machine is surprisingly fun. I'm clearly in the minority, and I'm okay with that. The sound is weak and the theming COULD be better, but hey, it's a nice playing machine. While I don't see this as a 6/6 "Fun" game, it's the only way I could get the rating where I wanted it... so there's that.

7.617/10

8 years ago

MSF

Nokoro

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 137K 5,486 18

This is a really fun pin, and I have to admit that the theme doesn't really appeal to me. It has one of the most unique ways to plunge, and I never tire of seeing the ball race around the outside loop race track. The start to multiball is amazing -- one of the best intros I've seen. Overall, a solid pin that is just a real rush to play.

7.287/10

8 years ago

JNM

dellice45

Inactive member

Burrillville, RI

9y 35,150 112 5 18

i had alot of fun playing this, the few times that i did play, i enjoyed the lap around the table before shooting out and enjoyed the machine , i cant wait to play this again !

dellice45 has owned this game in the past.

6.818/10

9 years ago

J-Z

jayway1982

Inactive member

Malvern, AR

10y 18,900 10 2 7

An ok game. You really need to like NASCAR to love this one. The way the ball loops around is really cool.

5.713/10

9 years ago

YOS

Yoski

Pinside member

Sebring, FL

9y 88,150 456 17 133

If you're not a NASCAR fan the game looks OK at best. The ball making the few laps around the field is a cool idea but gets old after a while. It adds nothing to the fun rating.
The field has a fair number of toys and stuff to go after but nothing I would describe as a target rich environment. The flow was about average.
Overall an OK pinball but nothing I would spend space or money on.

8.216/10

9 years ago

CAD

retrotilt

Pinside member

Prosper, TX

10y 103K 67 12 58

I've found this to be a great playing machine that seems to be underappreciated due to the theme. It has a deep ruleset, tons of modes, a good fan style layout, fast ramps, and great flow. It's fun progressing thru the modes and there is a nice amount of variety in them. There are even 2 wizard modes to work towards.

The gimmick of this pin is the pinball making laps around the playfield after the plunge and during the start of multi-ball, but it's one that fits the theme perfectly. I'm not a NASCAR fan and I don't know much about the sport, but I think a racing theme can make for a fun pinball. The music during the game is good. However, the version of "I Can't Drive 55" that plays during multi-ball is pretty bad. That's my biggest complaint about this game after owning it for over a year.

Stereotypes about the theme seem to be the main thing keeping pinheads from enjoying this machine, so I feel like it floats under the radar a bit. In all fairness, there are also some stereotypes that exist about grown men that collect pinball machines too :) Overall, this game is fast, deep, and challenging. My guests love it and I can honestly say I would rather play this game than dozens of machines in the top 100.

retrotilt edited previous rating on August 06, 2016.
retrotilt has owned this game in the past.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

7.400/10

9 years ago

TAP

Trace

Inactive member

Unknown

10y 21,000 9 24

Really fast! An unusual game that is under-rated. Unpredictable, keeps you on your toes. No deep rule set just fun satisfying shots multiball action. Game can still be found on the cheaper end of the market with bang for your buck value! The theme is meh, but the play is fast and fun, party y’all !

Trace edited previous rating on November 07, 2021.
Trace currently owns this game.

6.942/10

9 years ago

DAN

BeaverBrewing

Pinside member

Beaver Falls, PA

11y 80,150 289 7 282

One of the best plunge features ever....but it would get old. Sure looks cool on the first game though.

Overall a nice game, modes, tough shoots, nice art. Just doesn't have to be played as far as I am concerned. Almost never see people playing it. I liked it.

5.145/10

9 years ago

FDN

Subarufrank

Inactive member

Unknown

9y 10,250 25

I must have played this table the most since it was always the one I found vacant, but I still love it

8.640/10

9 years ago

XXX

daddyxxx

Pinside member

9y 75,550 435 213

Great game,fast and has a great lay out

daddyxxx edited previous rating on December 14, 2018.

6.753/10

9 years ago

RON

ronlisa

Pinside+ Frequent

Odessa, MO

13y 98,800 1,763 25 42

After playing a couple of games , you will start to get bored. The ball making a couple of laps around the playfield is pretty cool at first, but that even gets old after the first couple of times. The game was built about the time Stern really started to cut back on their machines and this game really shows it. I would only have one in my collection if I could pick one up real cheap locally and thats because I have plenty of room for additional pins. If your tight on space, don't even waste your money and tie up a space where you could have a much better pinball siting.

7.698/10

9 years ago

JMS

swampfire

Pinside+ Addict

11y 168K 13,601 48

Updated: I've had NASCAR for 6 weeks now, and my opinion of it has gone up. I created a diagram of the rules, and doing that made me realize that it's as deep as LOTR. The game is packed with mechanisms: 6 diverters, 3 accelerator magnets, 3 VUKs, 3 drop targets and a "spinning car". The hauler and test car mechanisms are clever. I'm not a Nascar fan at all, and the callouts are a little grating at first (they grow on you). The music is pure Chris Grannar, very system11-like. The game is all about earning CHAMP letters to get to the wizard mode (I've gotten close several times). It's probably the most balanced game I've ever played: all the shots are important. I like that after lighting Extra Ball, you have to earn it by completing the drops. "Hard Racin'" rewards combos of the right ramp and right orbit.

I suspect that NASCAR suffers on location, because there are so many mechanical things that could break and make it no fun to play. However a dialed-in version of this game is fast and very fun. Those few laps at the beginning just give me time to grab a quick swig of beer.

The garage kickout can be fixed so it doesn't go down the middle. Use mylar to tape an 1/8" piece of cardboard on the left side of the scoop. That will push the ball to one side as it goes out.

swampfire edited previous rating on October 19, 2014.

8.380/10

9 years ago

JPF

Pinballwiz45b

Pinside member

10y 46,400 264 24

I really don't see why this game is underrated; NASCAR is a pretty fun game to play on. Had the opportunity to play it and loved the features that were available. Strategy involved as well; the Mode Bonus could be worth sooo many points if you play your modes right. Shame that the left ramp didn't work properly when I last played it; really wanted to get into Multiball.

Pinballwiz45b edited previous rating on December 27, 2014.

3.710/10

9 years ago

JEF

OldSchoolBlood

Pinside member

Savage, MN

10y 56,650 777 2 43

The first thing you will notice playing NASCAR is the ball going around the playfield after launching the ball. This is neat for the first 3-4 games. After that it takes way too long and is very annoying. The art package is below average, and the sound on this one is really bad. This game is probably the fastest pin Pat Lawlor has designed, but also is one of his worst. Game has a few fun moments, but is a below average game for me.

8.460/10

10 years ago

SED

sed6

Inactive member

Oklahoma City, OK

10y 67,800 775 2 7

This is on my short list to own. It in fact is the very first pin I decided I wanted to own. If I ever get one I'm going to have to change out the test car, it's so ugly.

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There are 81 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 2 of 4.

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