NASCAR Thunder 2004 is a racing simulator by EA Sports, released in 2003. It can be played on PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. It features the 2002 champion Tony Stewart on the cover. It was the first and only game as of 2002 to feature the previous Winston Cup (Nextel) Cup Champion on the cover.

Modes

Career Mode
Work your way through the ranks of NASCAR as you compete for 20 consecutive seasons. Vie for the best crew, try to sign the top sponsors, and incorporate the latest racing technology. If you want to be offered a good sponsor and money for your team, buy new engines, chassis, body and your R&D (research and development)... you need to race smarter and finish in a good position to do so. If your starting and finishing position meets your sponsor's expectation, your prestige will raise, and maybe you will be offered better money and sponsor.

Season Mode
You don't have to win every race to finish the season on top. Compete consistently in a series of races in quest of a NASCAR championship and you might end up with enough points to clutch the cup.

Thunder License
Get some experience behind the wheel as you learn every track in the country from "The King," Richard Petty, and other top NASCAR drivers. This is pretty much like the practice mode in "Race Now." Except that you don't have an option to mess with your setups.

Lightning Challenge
Lightning Challenges are mini-games in which the player must re-enact some of the greatest and most exhilarating moments of NASCAR races from 2002 and 1st part of 2003. If the player complete the challenges, he or she will earn Thunder Plates which unlock paint schemes, tracks, and drivers. Michael Waltrip, driver of the #15 NAPA Chevrolet, will be the commentator for all of the challenges but one, which is commentated by Steve Park, Michael even commentates himself in one challenge. To find out what plates you can get from all of the challenges, look under "Thunder Plates". The challenges are played on all difficulty levels. (Wikipedia)

Unlockables

Unlockable stuff
Win the Winston Cup

All create-a-car sponsors - Win winston Cup in Career Mode

Kit Paint - Win winston Cup in Career Mode

The greatest in-game crashes: