Stock car fans have had their year in the sun so far. You have jeans and beer commercials celebrating the sport, bigger and more extensive coverage on ESPN and other sport-affiliated channel, and even a feature motion picture, which was one of the box offices biggest successes this summer. To get everyone excited, EA pulls out another edition of the famed franchise with NASCAR 07. Keeping in mind that this is only available for the Xbox, PS2, and PSP, and the next generation crowd may have to wait a while before seeing their favorite racers and speedways powered by HD visuals, sounds, and effects.

Even with all the focus kept on current generation consoles, EA has done very little in the ways of innovation and new features for 07. That’s not to say that 07 is a carbon copy of 06, but the differences may be too few for someone who already owns 06.

Visually the game receives very little in the upgrade department. The only real noticeable changes visually are new menus, ESPN online overlays, and some motion blurring effects for speed recognition. The engine is looking rather dated, and even with a lower polygon count than most newer current gen racers, the game still slows down in heavy traffic. It is, on the other hand, nice to see something other than oval left turn affairs this time around, as several new tracks that are more diverse and open to surprising right turns have been implemented.

Controls are generally untouched, including last years Total Team Control feature. Added is a slider system that allows you to alter your handling, as well as a momentum meter, but the rest of the game remains the same. Added to the features list are a few nifty items, such as a new Driver Ratings system that will pit you against rookies and veterans providing a different experience with each race. You may now wager cash against real world drivers to upgrade your performance as well. Extra contracts can be earned by taking one-on-one trials with Kenny Wallace, and a few modifications for online play have been made, but alas, you are still stuck with only four at a time online.

So if another season of NASCAR makes you want to virtually step behind the wheel with a few new additions, roster upgrades, and online play, then 07 is probably spinning in your PS2 and Xbox as we speak. Casual fans who own 06 may want to wait this one out until we get our first next generation offering as the subtle differences may not be enough to merit the purchase.