Asobo, known today as the Microsoft Flight Simulator developer, created groundbreaking technology for large scale maps that was intended to be used in a high quality rally raid title. It was never released and ended up as FUEL, a post-apocalyptic open-world racing game. What happened?
As a direct ancestor of iRacing, the ‘Grand Prix Legends engine’ had multiple stock car racing false starts, before eventually releasing as NASCAR Racing 4. The original NASCAR 3, cancelled and replaced by one that used NASCAR 2’s engine, is barely remembered.
Uses the Sportscar GT physics and graphics engine, as well as menu system under license. Had this released two years earlier it would be a solid simulation for that era, but with NASCAR Racing 4 releasing the previous year it was basically out of date upon release. It has a plentiful supply of game-breaking bugs, and generally offers a poor experience.
The only positive aspect of the simulation is the track list, which includes a number of classic short ovals that in some cases no longer exist.