NASCAR Thunder 2003 Cheats

NASCAR Thunder 2003

Tiburon Speedway track:
Use a memory card with a saved file from an EA Sports2003 game.

Thunder Plates:
Select the Thunder Challenge or Lightning Challengeat the game mode screen. Complete the various challenges to getnew Thunder Plates. Note: The Plates are awarded randomly fromgame to game -- winning a certain track with a particular driverwill not unlock the same Plate between games.

Hint: Eight Championships:
Win all eight championships and get the Eight Championshipsvideo with a New Lightning challenge.

Hint: Easy win:
Make sure all races are set on ten percent race length.Drive into the grass and spin out on lap four, rather than crash.This way, your car is not damaged and you are better able to draft.It also works on lap 7 of all 26 lap races under the 10 percentsetting, and on lap 12 or 13 of 39 to 40 lap races.

Go to career mode and set it up at either 12, 24, or 36 racesat 25% or more. Turn cautions off and when you start, slam onyour brakes and turn around. Hit the cars at high speed (especiallyin the back by the fuel tank, which is their weak spot) and theywill sometimes catch on fire. When this happens, the car on fireis out of the race. You can also do this by hitting the car andblocking its movements while it is up against the wall. This willalso knock a car out of the race after about a minute. Keep ondoing this, and if you are good enough, you can knock all thecars out. Then, turn around and finish the race by yourself infirst place. This is a good way to increase your prestige andearnings, especially in the early years of your new career.

At any short track, set your psi (tire pressure) all the way to60 and just run on the wall. Keep the wheel turned all the wayto the left and you should have an easy win.

Hint: Easy paint schemes:
Use the following trick to unlock your favorite driver'spaint schemes easily. First, set the difficulty level to veteranor legend. Then, set the race length to 3%. Turn on unlimitedtires and fuel and turn off damage. Go into quick race and choosethe driver whose paint scheme you want to unlock. Choose DaytonaNight (Pepsi 400). Before you qualify, go into car setup and setthe transmission to manual. Set the gear ratio to 5. Exit outand qualify. You will notice your car is much faster than theothers. You are running it at over 9500 rpm (about 193 to 198mph). No one will be able to catch you. The race is very quick.In less than an hour's time, you can unlock many driver paintschemes.

To unlock paint schemes, instead of using the veteran difficultysetting, go to the rookie setting switch the speed one level tothe right. It will become custom. This will also unlock paintschemes.

Win two titles to unlock the Driver Kitt paint.

Hint: Get pole position:
Before running a veteran race in quick race mode, takethe Thunder license and complete all three levels of the testfor the desired track. This will give the first (pole) startingposition.

Hint: Better acceleration and easier handling:
For all of the tracks except for Daytona and Talledega,go into car setup before the race. Change your tire pressure downto 15 psi for better acceleration and easier handling. For Daytonaand Talledega, leave it at 25 psi.

Hint: Pass easily:
Draft with the car in front of you for awhile. Whenyou just come out of a turn, move over and you should pass him.You can also do this on a straight away, but it works much bettercoming out of a turn. Also, drafting helps fuel mileage and yourspeed.

Hint: Bristol: Easy win:
First, turn on the running line, and unlimited fueland tires. Qualify as you would for any track. During the race,when the running line turns red, wait a moment before lettingoff the gas. Then, press the gas when you reach the green again.The car will automatically go high, and the other cars will slowdown. You can go around them. It may take a few laps, but eventuallyyou will be running in the front. This tactic can be adapted forall short tracks.

When at Bristol Motor Speedway on the second lap, on the secondturn the other cars will slow down.

Hint: Daytona: Easy win:
Make sure the race is set on ten percent race length.Then, cause a crash on lap four. If done correctly, there shouldbe a caution. Go into the pits, and ignore that fact if no oneelse also enters. You will probably be last, but there will soonbe another caution and the leaders will come in. Stay out anddo not pit. After the stop, you should be in first or second place.You will run low on gas, but you will not run out. Block and youwill be able to win.

At Daytona in career mode in the Datona 500, when you pit insteadof taking four tires or right side tires, take on left side tiresand enough fuel to make it to the finish. You should leave thepits in first place, providing that you came in first or nearit.

Hint: Lowe's Motor Speedway: Car setup:
The following setup is to be used with caution. Withthis setup, your car can and will slide out of turn four and hita wall if you are not careful. Change the car setup to the followingsettings. Tire Pressure: 23 PSI; Down force: Fender Flare, 74";Rear Spoiler, 51 degrees; Suspension: Front and Rear Springs at100%, sway bar at 1/4 ", and Wedge at -4.0; Gears: firstto 1.30, second to 1.10, third- 2.00, fourth- .80; and Rear Endto 4.60. This setup takes away the handling needed to succeedon Lowe's, but the speed will give you an advantage. The accelerationcombined with the speed will get you up to about 195 mph by turnfour, lap one. Also, this setup allows you to not let off thegas if you have all assists on. Use unlimited gas/tires for this,as it will eat your tires.

Hint: Talladega: Car setups:
Go into car setup. Go into "Gear Ratios"and change the two down at the very bottom to "89" and"4.45" respectively. Note: "4.45" for thebottom one and "89" for the one above it. Accept thechanges, start the race, and by the end of the back stretch onthe first lap, you can get up to and over 200 mph.

Go into car setup. Then, select "Auto Transmission".Set the tire pressure to "30". Loosen or tighten thecar as desired. Finally, go to the gear ratios. Leave the firstgear as is. Set second gear to "1.85", third gear go"1.35", fourth gear to "1.01" or "1.02",and leave rear end as is. When you start the race, second andthird gear will be a little slow, but when you get to fourth youwill blow them away. At the end of the first lap you should begoing about 190 to 195 mph.

Hint: Talladega: Drive over 200 mph:
Go into car setup. Go into "Gear Ratios"and change the two down at the very bottom to "89" and"4.45" respectively. Note: "4.45" for thebottom one and "89" for the one above it. Accept thechanges, start the race, and by the end of the back stretch onthe first lap, you can get up to and over 200 mph.

Hint: Watkins Glen: Easy win:
Set the race length to 5%. On the first lap, causea caution. When asked to pit, do not. On the second lap, causeanother caution. This time when asked, pit. You will be 43rd place,but just before lap 4 everyone else will have to come in andpit. You will coast to an easy win with enough fuel and tires.

Hint: Bud Shoot Out:
On the first lap, go into the pits and take on leftside tires only (no gas or repairs). When you leave the pits,cause a caution. After all of the caution laps, there will onlybe one lap remaining and not enough time for anyone to pit.

Hint: Pay At The Pump lightning challenge:
During the Pay At The Pump challenge, step on the gasall through the track. Put a big enough lead on Bobby Labonteand Sterling Marlin so that it is about a two to three secondgap. You will run out of gas at the exit of turn four, dependingon how hard you have been pushing the car. If the lead is bigenough, just block and you will win the challenge. This may takea few attempts, but if you drive the car correctly it will bean easy way to win.

Hint: Pocono thunder challenge:
Press Start during the race. Go to the settingsand set "Auto Brake" to "Off". Set "StabilityControl" to "Limited". You will be able to catchyour opponent. Try to stay off the wall; if you hit it too muchyou car will be gone.

Hint: The Big One lightning challenge:
At the start of the challenge or a few seconds after,slow the car to 181 to 183 mph. Do not let the meter at the topof the screen transfer below 24th or you will be out of contention.When you feel that you have enough room between the cars thatwill wreck and yourself, accelerate. You should have enough speedto get to about 4th place. Stay alert to dodge the wrecking cars.Do not slow if you happen to drive through some smoke. You haveto time it correctly in order to catch the lead pack.