Circuit Racing Games

Circuit racing games are played on closed tracks: you start, go around, and the first across the line wins. There are more than 100, free, in your browser with no downloads, and it's the biggest section for anyone who wants classic driving.

What's inside

The most common are car races against computer-controlled rivals: Need for Speed, Racing Go, V8 Racing, Heatwave Racing, Retro Racers 3D or Hero Race. You play from a behind-the-car or bird's-eye view and the aim is to gain positions.

The pixel and arcade-style ones are for quick, light sessions: Pico Racer, Big Pixel Racing or Raccoon Racing have simple graphics and driving that's easy to learn. Short Drift, Super Drift 3 and Zipzaps Street Rally, on the other hand, are all about sliding the car through corners, and there technique wins over raw speed.

Some circuits have characters and licenses: Speed Racer Meteoro, Monster Jam or Mario Kart Circuit 2. And a few add jumps and stunts to the track, like TrackMania Blitz and Car Stunt Races Mega Ramps, which feel more like a test course than a lap race.

How to improve your times

On a closed track, the driver who makes the fewest mistakes wins. The biggest time gain comes from braking before the corner and accelerating out of it. Running off the track often costs several seconds, and the same mistake repeated every lap decides the race. Learning the circuit by heart is more useful than going flat out.

If the game has several laps, don't obsess over the first one. Rivals may pass you, and winning the position back is possible if you drive cleanly.

• You want a classic race: Need for Speed or V8 Racing.
• You like simple graphics: Pico Racer or Big Pixel Racing.
• You want to drift: Short Drift or Super Drift 3.