It begins simply enough – you pull up to a red light in your Viper and look across at the car next to you. It is none other than Ryan Newman, whose image graces the cover of the latest NASCAR magazine.

He gestures to the light; apparently he wants to see what you have. The light turns green and you are on your way. Beat him and you will impress him. Fail to beat him and you will find yourself trying again and again. But beating him isn’t that hard. Put the peddle to the metal and cruise down the streets. No need for brakes, just let up on the gas as you near a sharper corner, and then juice it as you begin the turn to power out of it.

Once you succeed, the game opens up.

This is NASCAR Chase for the Cup 2005 from EA Sports for the PlayStation 2.

The game concept is rather simple. You create an avatar, then participate in a variety of events, starting with lower-level competitions in the Featherlite Modified series, then work your way up to the NASCAR cup races in the Nextel Cup. There are four levels of competition, Featherlite, Craftsman Truck, NASCAR National series, and the Nextel Cup

You can create and customize the look of your driver. But that is merely the surface of the customization. You will have the opportunity to sign a contract, which will pay off cash for vehicle upgrades as you earn points on the circuit.  With solid finishes, you can earn other contract offers.  Initially, they are pretty skimpy.

Once you get your ride, it’s on to the Featherlite competition. The vehicles are smaller, and somewhat less sturdy than their NASCAR cousins, but the racing is just as intense.  You will have to spend time in vehicle setup, working the various options to get that machine running in a manner you can control comfortably. That’s easier said than done.

The game has four difficulty modes – normal, advanced, extreme and custom. Once you set the difficulty setting, it cannot be changed.

Contracts are available in the Race Shop. The interface about races and the like that you qualify for are handled through a cell phone with your agent. He will explain what you can do and what the different interface aspects are for.

You won’t start with much, and even the initial race will only pay off $17,654 for 12 laps at the Red Ball Raceway. There are 16 races in the seasons for you to compete in. Once you pick your race, there are several options: Practice, Qualify, Happy Hour and the race, of course. You can also go into Car Setup and tweak your ride, trying to coax more power and acceleration out of it without sacrificing the handling too much.

Areas you can tweak include tire pressure, downforce, suspension and the gear ratios. There are 10 presets in the gear ratios, then you can go into the customization and create your own. Each adjustment you make may have an affect on the top speed, acceleration, handling, tire wear and whether the machine is loose or tight.

In addition to automatic gear shifting, the game will also let you manually shift gears.

What it all comes down to in the long run is your racing skills. You need to qualify for a race and then outmaneuver other vehicles to get into the clear and win. Only by winning races will you advance.

The game’s controls are simple and easy to use. The sound is superb, with lively musical tracks and, of course, the roar of the engines, the squeal of tires and the crunch of metal.

The graphics of the game are also very well done. You can switch views, and the environments are, for the most part, exceptional. Some of the smoke effects seem a little flat and with sharp edges, but if you rub a wall, or spin tires, you can count on seeing that track damage on your next trip around the track.

The game also has an Intimidator mode, in which rubbing or bumping other vehicles will have an effect of your standing as either a hero or a villain.

You learn, you grow and then you advance toward the premiere racing events.

NASCAR Chase for the Cup 2005 is intense racing with hair-trigger controls and the option to adjust them to your personal setting. The game also allows you to play online with other racers in a full field of cars in each of the four NASCAR series.

If you are a console fan of racing games, EA Sports offers up an intense event that will challenge everyone. This is a game with depth of gameplay as well as a great soundtrack and solid graphical elements.

Gameplay: 8.2

Some load times, and the general gameplay is broken up for the cell phone calls you receive from your agent detailing your options.

Graphics: 8.7

Some of the effects are a little sharp, but other environmental lighting effects are superb. The car mechanics are excellent and the look of the game is superb as well.

Sound: 9

This game has a great soundtrack as well as all the sounds one would expect from a racing title. This aspect of the game is very well done.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

If you are looking for a racing challenge, this title has it.

Concept: 8.6

While the course through the game is somewhat linear, the game does offer a nice gaming scheme. The controls are very easy to use and the racing formats are challenging.

Multiplayer: 8.7

Four racing series, and full fields of drivers make for intense and high-speed fun.

Overall: 8.7

This title allows players to create an avatar and then work their way through the rankings to challenge for one of the big titles in NASCAR. The game looks good, and plays very well. And the vehicles are responsive depending on how you set them up. With the challenge presented, racing fans should get plenty of entertainment value from Chase for the Cup 2005.