Ricky Craven is my NASCAR Thunder 2003 Career GOAT.
recently started playing some of the old games after buying a refurbished PS2. I grew up playing all of them from that era. it's been years.
I feel like some of them, especially NASCAR Thunder 2003, have weird alternate realities where mid drivers would have stellar careers if you simulate races in career mode.
I just completed year four of a career and on Legend I'm finally starting to get routinely competitive. two wins (both from the pole at New Hampshire) and five additional poles. nonetheless, I occassionally sim a race or two if I just wanna get closer to a particular track.
Ricky Craven currently has 21 career victories. he has never won a race that I actually participated in instead of simming. in fact, the majority of races I've skipped have been won by Ricky Craven. his 21 wins are more than anyone else in that four-year timeframe. second belongs to Jimmie Johnson with 17, ten of which came during our 'battle' for Rookie of the Year. speaking of that battle, Ryan Newman has 51 top fives with one sole win, which if I recall correctly was at North Carolina. Tony Stewart hasn't won since 2002. Ward Burton has not recorded a top ten finish this entire playthrough. Sterling Marlin captured eight poles in 2003. Jeff Purvis took over for Kyle Petty three years ago and records a top ten pretty regularly. even won at Sonoma (I blocked the field for him). Kurt Busch was 22nd in points this past season. that's the best he's done yet and still hasn't notched a win.
I got to thinking, and I remembered that this isn't the first time a random ass driver became a sudden explosion of speed during career playthroughs while huge drop offs and utter randomness takes place. I absolutely remember these things occurring back in the day. I find it so very interesting lol. like, when I was playing my only career mode save on NASCAR 25 last fall, Toni Breidinger finished runner-up in the Truck Series during my second year in ARCA. I think it was Tyler Ankrum who was champion. it's just an odd thing that stuck with me. seems like it happens a lot in these games.
any career mode stories to share? who's your favorite career mode GOAT?