Trackday Manager is a Thinking Man’s Driving Game

Jarrettjawn
Gaming News
Gaming News

Full disclosure: the last time I was excited to play a racing game was around Fall of 2004, when Criterion’s Burnout 3: Takedown hit shelves. It was the most interesting car related console experience I’d had at the time. It was cathartic in its white knuckle intensity and its heavy focus on destruction, but it also put racing in a context outside of just sitting me behind a wheel and blazing around a track. It transcended being just a racing game, and became something more cerebral. The closest I’ve ever felt to that since was my time with Arctic Hazard’s Trackday Manager.

Racing game fans will find themselves in a familiar position after clicking through the opening screens of the game: staring at a shiny, new car in the middle of a well lit garage. Aggro-alt rock eases the culture shock of diving into one of the garage’s many tabs and menus, where you can spend enormous amounts of time customizing what seems like every possible feature a car can have. I’m still wondering if I missed the car caddie feature. Maybe it’ll be DLC down the line?

I largely ignored the customization features before my first few races. I didn’t see a point in spending money on things when I wasn’t entirely sure how any of it would make me better. Instead, I jumped headlong into the quick match queue. After a waiting period, I was slotted into a 12 lap race with a mixture of AI and live human players and was pretty jarred when I realized I wasn’t in the driver’s seat. Instead of doing the driving, Trackday Manager tasks you will telling the driver what to do.

The racing manager sub genre isn’t exactly new, but Trackday Manager is my first foray into it, and man is it fascinating.

Instead of actively pushing down a throttle button and steering your way around a winding track, an AI driver does all of the actual driving. You, instead, cover the more managerial and strategic decisions, from what sort of tires your car should have on, to when the driver should make a pit stop. How your driver reacts to others on the road is largely your call as well. When gaining on a car, you can tell your driver to tail it and draft your opponents around the map. You can tell them to make aggressive maneuvers to overtake oncoming opponents or block cars attempting to pass you. It’s quite a ballet of order giving – one that is incredibly difficult to really master, but shows itself to be more and more necessary for successful laps the more you play. 

My fatal mistake early on is that I leaned on these actions a bit too much. Possibly out of some subconscious need to be more active in a game from a genre that I normally associated with constant activity, I would babysit my driver and over micromanage.  I’d be sending him so many orders – overtake this guy left… no, no right… wait, use your K.E.R.S. boost… just overload!! – that he would really just be doing a lot of nothing. Trackday Manager recognizes that this sort of racing is more marathon than sprint, and I wanted to do whatever I could to jump from 16th to 1st – but that is never going to happen in one lap.

You’ll find that you will have better races when you get less hands on. Let your driver navigate himself around the map, and use your commands as he approaches situations, not to get him into situations. It was a tough lesson for me to learn, but I went from being consistently last, to being competitively 11th-12th. I can dig that.

This tends to also mean that your performance is heavily dependent of your car’s loadout, since much of the process involves the game’s code figuring out what your numbers are worth compared to everyone else’s. So, I would eventually slink back in to the garage and engage with the many things to buy and equip. The ten modification slots can be daunting, as the difference between one part over another in the same slot can be so minuscule that it’s hard to understand the impact on your cars performance as a whole. Like everything else in this game, though, time and practice reveal the secrets, and suddenly you’ll be well aware of the process involved in making the ultimate racing machine.


Outside of tricking your car with parts and paint, you can also dabble in the sponsorship system. After picking one from a set of lists, you can make attempts to court a sponsor into a contract with you. You make initial contact by phone or email, then you can spend money sending them gifts and giving them access. The more you spend on presents like dinner with the CEO, the more likely they’ll be interested in signing a contract with you. Scoring a contract means you get bonus money per race, as well as more bonuses when you place well.

Even if you don’t play racing games, you should kick the tires of Trackday Simulator. It’s such a different take on the genre that even non-enthusiasts can find a valuable experience in it. Grab it on Steam, and let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook. Hit up the Official Trackday Manager Wiki and help spread the secrets of this unique racing experience with everyone!

MobLand Season 2: Everything We Know So Far
Paramount+'s British gang drama killed a lot of people off in the Season 1 finale; here's what's next
Copied to clipboard
PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium Games For July 2025 Include Cyberpunk 2077
PS Plus subscribers are in for a treat this month with the new additions to the Game Catalog.
Copied to clipboard
e.l.f. Cosmetics and Honkai: Star Rail Give Anime Expo 2025 an Electric Makeover
Watch fans get the look of their favorite Honkai: Star Rail characters
Copied to clipboard
Magic: The Gathering - Edge Of Eternities First Look: Every Card Revealed So Far
Here's every card shown off during the first reveal of the next out-of-this-world MTG set.
Copied to clipboard
Mecha Break Review - Strike Fast
Mecha Break evokes classic mecha anime with its exciting multiplayer battles, but the game's free-to-play foibles, among other issues, sour things.
Copied to clipboard
Dune: Awakening Review - To Tame A Land
Funcom's survival MMO delivers on the fantasy of the Dune universe but stumbles in the endgame.
Copied to clipboard
The Most Ridiculous Mascots In College Football 26
Mascots are a major part of what makes college sports so fun to watch. Here are the top 10 most ridiculously fun mascots in College Football 26.
Copied to clipboard
X-Wing Ultimate Collector Series Lego Star Wars Set Gets Rare, Huge Discount
Walmart has a bunch of notable Lego discounts in its big sale running alongside Amazon Prime Day 2025.
Copied to clipboard
I Can't Wait To Reloot African Artifacts From Western Museums
In the heist-driven, action-platformer video game Relooted, of course.
Copied to clipboard
Sleuths Think Smash Bros., Donkey Kong 64, And More Are Headed To Switch Online
At least five more N64 additions may have been accidentally revealed (if you squint).
Copied to clipboard
Nintendo Addresses Concerns Over Switch 2's Price Keeping Kids From Getting It
The Switch 2 launched at a hefty $450, a price point that has some investors concerned over how that might affect younger players.
Copied to clipboard
Nintendo May Use "Shorter Development Periods" On Some Games To Offset Costs
The Mario maker is looking at numerous ways to deal with the continuous problem of higher development costs.
Copied to clipboard
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Review - You Win Some, Lose Some
Though it trips up a bit in its Career mode, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 still manages to deliver a marvelous game of skate.
Copied to clipboard
Final Fantasy 9 Anniversary Video Refuels Rumors Of A Remake
100 out of 100 noble FFIX fans are clamoring for the rumored remake.
Copied to clipboard
Best Weapon Loadouts For Black Ops 6 Multiplayer - Season 4 Reloaded Update
Here are some recommended weapon loadouts for Call of Duty's midseason update.
Copied to clipboard
The Best Games Of 2025 (So Far)
2025 is off to a great start, thanks to games like Doom: The Dark Ages and Old Skies.
Copied to clipboard
The Best Players In College Football 26, According To EA
EA has released the official ratings for the top players at each position in College Football 26, so let's take a look at who made the final cut.
Copied to clipboard
Let's Rank What Matters Most In Mario Kart World: The Food
Playing Mario Kart World builds up quite the appetite, but fortunately it also has tons of tasty snacks
Copied to clipboard
Call Of Duty Beavis And Butt-Head Event - All Weapons, Skins, And All Rewards
Here are all the new rewards you can unlock in Black Ops 6 And Warzone for the Beavis and Butt-Head crossover event.
Copied to clipboard
PlayStation's Helldivers 2 Is Coming To Xbox In August
More Helldivers will join the galactic conflict next month.
Copied to clipboard
Mr. Robot Is Now on Netflix and More Relevant Than Ever
The USA Network hacker thriller, which ran from 2015-2019, is still great and still timely. All four seasons are now streaming on Netflix.
Copied to clipboard
The Old Guard 2 Review: An Underwhelming Return for Netflix's Action Franchise
Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman face off in a sequel that feels oddly unfinished
Copied to clipboard
More Xbox Layoffs Announced, Phil Spencer Claims They Were Necessary
"Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger," Phil Spencer says.
Copied to clipboard
After A Decade, Rare's Everwild Canceled As Part Of Xbox Layoffs
As part of layoffs at the company, the plug has been pulled on this original IP from Rare.
Copied to clipboard
CoD Season 4 Reloaded Patch Notes Add Attachment Changes And Goofy Verdansk LTM
Here are the major changes included in the Black Ops 6 And Warzone Season 4 Reloaded update.
Copied to clipboard
Amazon Prime Members Get These 7 Free Games In July
From culinary adventures to the endless depths of space, here's what Prime subscribers can get for free this month.
Copied to clipboard
Game Pass Adds 9 More Games In July, Including Tony Hawk Pro Skater Remasters
Tony Hawk headlines the first wave of games headed to Game Pass in July.
Copied to clipboard
Donkey Kong Bananza Looks Like The Mario Odyssey Successor No One Expected
Sporting a goofy sense of humor and mechanics that reward curiosity and experimentation, this is the most ambitious DK has been in years.
Copied to clipboard
You Can't Spoil The Bear
The fervor around The Bear's fourth season took the concept of 'spoiler alerts' to an untenable place
Copied to clipboard
Switch 2's Zelda Notes Feature Misses The Point Of The Games
The new companion app for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offers some helpful functions, but also diminishes the thrill of discovery.
Copied to clipboard
Honkai Star Rail x e.l.f Cosmetics Collab Kicks Off with Exclusive Sweepstakes
Enter to win an exclusive Honkai: Star Rail PS5 controller from e.l.f. Cosmetics!
Copied to clipboard
The Biggest Game Releases Of July 2025
From more Switch 2 exclusives to living your best life in Middle-earth, here’s a closer look at what July has in store.
Copied to clipboard
Blue Prince Doesn't Have A Satisfying Ending, But That's The Point
It increasingly seems like Blue Prince contains puzzles that will never be solved, an incredibly gutsy way to convey a powerful emotional impact.
Copied to clipboard
The Hidden Tech Making Assassin's Creed Shadows Feel More Alive And Not Need 2TB
An Assassin's Creed developer sheds some light on how new, often hidden technology, is making games better for developers and gamers alike.
Copied to clipboard
The Bear Season 4 Is on the Clock
The passing of time is the glue that holds this return to form together
Copied to clipboard
Squid Game's Evil VIPs Are Still the Show's Worst Characters
The Netflix hit spends too much of its final season with these hollow, wealthy voyeurs
Copied to clipboard
Fortnite Squid Game Map - All Map Changes In Fortnite Reload
Get ready to play Red Light, Green Light on Fortnite's Squid Grounds.
Copied to clipboard
CoD Season 4 Reloaded Adds Beavis and Butt-Head, Cel-Shaded Maps
Cartoon-themed content is coming to Season 4 Reloaded in BO6 and Warzone.
Copied to clipboard
20 Things You Need To Know Before You Play Death Stranding 2
Survive every harrowing ordeal as Sam Porter Bridges with these Death Stranding 2: On the Beach tips.
Copied to clipboard
Best Games Under $10 In The 2025 Steam Summer Sale
Do you like video games? Do you have ten bucks? Good news.
Copied to clipboard
Best Steam Summer Sale 2025 Game Deals
The Steam Summer Sale is now live, and there are some great bargains to find here.
Copied to clipboard
Sinners Leads HBO Max's New Releases in July
You can finally watch Sinners at home
Copied to clipboard
PlayStation Plus Free Games For July 2025 Revealed
Here's what PS Plus subscribers can look forward to in July.
Copied to clipboard
Destiny 2 Edge Of Fate Livestream - All New Exotics, Weapons, And Artifact Mods
Bungie's next Destiny 2 expansion will rework its build system, kick off Armor 3.0, and add a bunch of new gear.
Copied to clipboard
Here's Why Your Nintendo Switch 2 Display Looks So Blurry
Testing on the Nintendo Switch 2 display has determined why you might be seeing some incredibly blurry gameplay.
Copied to clipboard
Death Stranding Timeline: Full Story Recap To Prepare You For On The Beach
From the Big Bang to the end of all things, here's the entire story of Death Stranding.
Copied to clipboard
Netflix Will Remove All Of These Games In July 2025
Your last chance to play these games will be July 14.
Copied to clipboard
Rematch Review - Unbelievable Tekkers
Rematch takes a refreshing, skill-based approach to football games that can be just as frustrating as it is thrilling
Copied to clipboard
How One Deus Ex Designer Created The Game's Best Level
Steve Powers' version of Hong Kong feels as generous and extravagant as it did 25 years ago.
Copied to clipboard
10 Years Ago, Batman: Arkham Knight Solved The Video Game Trilogy Problem
Rocksteady pushed its Dark Knight threequel to the extreme to create the definitive Batman video game.
Copied to clipboard
Death Stranding 2 Review - Tied Up
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is fixated on revisiting past ideas, which limits its impact to being a good but not great sequel
Copied to clipboard
Death Stranding 2 Release Times For All Regions
While Sony hasn't provided an official map of the Death Stranding 2 launch times, we've got them all here for you.
Copied to clipboard
Cyberpunk 2077's Big New 2.3 Update Delayed
The highly anticipated 2.3 update needs more time to cook.
Copied to clipboard
Here's When Netflix's Sakamoto Days Returns for More Action and Comedy
The Netflix action-comedy anime following a retired assassin is a hit
Copied to clipboard
There's an Actual, Legitimate Chance Mindhunter Will Come Back
Star Holt McCallany has been talking to David Fincher about it
Copied to clipboard
Here's What Book You Should Read Based On Your Favorite Game
Looking to shave down your screentime? Here are some books that pack the same punch as your favorite games.
Copied to clipboard
Mario Kart World's Vibes-Based Free Roam Is Perfect
Mario Kart World isn't an open-world racing game and I love that it isn't.
Copied to clipboard
Here's Why HDR Might Look Worse On Your Switch 2
There are a few issues with the way Nintendo has implemented HDR on the Switch 2.
Copied to clipboard
Donkey Kong: Bananza - Everything We Just Learned About The Switch 2 Exclusive
From the surprise appearance of a fan-favorite Super Mario character to powerful transformations, here's everything we just learned about Bananza.
Copied to clipboard
Donkey Kong Bananza Raises The Possibility Of A DK Multiverse
Hear me out: Cranky Kong and young Pauline should not coexist.
Copied to clipboard
Borderlands 4 Adds Long Requested Features, Like Mission Replay, Seamless World
Being able to heal whenever you want is a game-changer for longer boss battles.
Copied to clipboard
Here's What Book Reacher Season 4 Will Be Based On
Star Alan Ritchson confirmed where we're headed next
Copied to clipboard
NCIS: Tony & Ziva Has a Premiere Date!
The spin-off featuring the franchise's most famous couple is coming to Paramount+
Copied to clipboard
Here's Why The Witcher 4 Is Being Developed With A Console-First Approach
CD Projekt Red has explained why it is focusing on developing The Witcher 4 for consoles first instead of PC.
Copied to clipboard
Red Dead Redemption's John Marston Actor Teases "Exciting News" Coming Soon
Rob Wiethoff is teasing news amid reports of RDR 2 coming to Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Copied to clipboard
Mario Kart World Tips And Tricks To Help You Cross The Finish Line
The first brand-new Mario Kart game in over a decade changes up the formula in exciting ways.
Copied to clipboard
MindsEye Review - Not Like This
MindsEye is a stringent and relentlessly dull video game, wasting its impressive world on formulaic mission design that's both archaic and uninspired.
Copied to clipboard
Nintendo Switch 2 Review - It's A Switch, Too
The successor to one of Nintendo's most popular pieces of hardware is a refined, premium version of what lots of gamers already loved.
Copied to clipboard
Dandadan Season 2: Release Date, Movie, How to Watch, and More
Momo and Okarun are back for more adventures with the occult
Copied to clipboard
FX's Alien: Earth Gets Its First Extended Trailer
'We don't lock them down, it will be too late'
Copied to clipboard
Steam Next Fest June 2025: 25 Of The Best Demos You Can Download Right Now
From literal walking simulators to paranoia-fueled mysteries, here's a look at some of the best demos we've seen in the June Steam Next Fest.
Copied to clipboard
Splatoon Raiders Spin-Off Game Announced For Nintendo Switch 2
A Switch 2-exclusive Splatoon spin-off has players in the role of a mechanic exploring a mysterious set of islands with the members of Deep Cut.
Copied to clipboard
Mario Kart World Review - A Worthy Marquee Launch Game
Mario Kart World expands on almost everything that made Mario Kart 8 such an enduring success, laying the foundation for years of raucous racing.
Copied to clipboard
Xbox Games Showcase Was Missing All These Major Games
Microsoft's showcased packed in a lot of announcements, but a lot of previously announced games were totally absent.
Copied to clipboard
Xbox Games Showcase 2025: All The Biggest Announcements
Here's a closer look at everything announced during this year's big annual Xbox Games Showcase.
Copied to clipboard
The Expanse Returns And All The Cool New Games Just Revealed At This Showcase
Here's a closer look at the biggest game reveals from the Future Games Show Summer Showcase.
Copied to clipboard
After Silent Hill 2, Cronos Might Complete Bloober Team's Redemption Arc
The team's follow-up to the Silent Hill 2 remake is looking impressive in its own right.
Copied to clipboard
Xbox Games Have Started Appearing On The Xbox App On PC, And No One Knows Why
After branding for Xbox PC started appearing, several Xbox games have started popping up on the Xbox app for PC.
Copied to clipboard
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass: All Skins And Rewards
It's the first battle pass with DC Comics characters in four years.
Copied to clipboard
Everything New In Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3: Super
It's the first time DC Comics has been on the battle pass in four years.
Copied to clipboard
Resident Evil 9 Announced At Summer Game Fest With Trailer And Release Date
After teasing fans earlier in the show, Capcom dropped a bombshell with a trailer announcing Resident Evil Requiem.
Copied to clipboard
Summer Game Fest Live 2025: All The Biggest Announcements And Games
Here's every major announcement from Geoff Keighley's video game showcase.
Copied to clipboard