But since then, the series has become hugely popular. This was a game where you weren’t just racing around a fixed track: you could get out and shoot people, and steal other cars! Predictably, this caused a fair amount of controversy at the time.

By the 1990s, there was a vibrant marketplace for different sorts of driving games, ranging from fun sofa experiences like Mario Kart to more cerebral simulations like Gran Turismo to full-on arcade experiences like Namco’s Ridge Racer series.Things really changed with the release of Grand Theft Auto by DMA Design in 1997. The first proper driving game arrived a year later, with Gran Trak 10, which came with a steering wheel mounted to the front of the arcade cabinet.As graphics improved, racing games became more subtle and compelling. 1973’s Space Race by Atari was a competitive game in which two players raced tiny spacecraft from the bottom of the screen to the top. It’s no surprise, then, that so many of our favourite fast-paced games from over the years feature driving as a major component.The earliest racing games didn’t feature cars at all, because they were too difficult to draw with the limited number of pixels available. Video games allow us to pull off maneuvers on four wheels that we’d never attempt on real roads. Additional benefits of racing games may include improved spatial attention, processing speed and hand-eye coordination.Driving around in fast cars is something many of us enjoy to do – or would enjoy it, if we got the chance.Researchers at the University of Rochester have suggested that racing games, particularly car racing games, may help you become a better driver thanks to the quick reactions needed for racing games.There are world racing games championships hosted annually, with the most popular contests coming in the car racing games category. Thanks to the advent of e-sports, you can now be professional at racing games.Online racing games have come a long way since! The initial racing games were made using low-resolution black and white graphics.These were initially car racing games, however, a variety of other forms of racing games have been produced since then including drag racing games, motorcycle racing games, bike racing games, and more.

In 1974, the first racing games were released.Whether you're here to get in gear for car racing games or take home all of the glory of the checkered flag, you’ll feel the rush all the same with these free online racing games! Rev the engines of your race cars in our high-octane selection of the best online racing games.

Play free car racing games online