Since EA Sports has gone on a exclusive license buying spree, many gamers were concerned about a lack of product diversity. There really haven’t been many other NASCAR games out for the Xbox, even before the license was exclusive, with the exception of NASCAR Heat when the Xbox console was released. EA Sports has had plenty of time to refine their racing game, and I can honestly say it’s worked well with their latest offering, NASCAR 06: Total Team Control.

In case the subtitle wasn’t obvious enough, this year’s game focuses on not just you as a driver, but your entire racing team – and we’re not just talking about the pit crew. We’re talking about other drivers that race for your company.

This is all part of the new "Fight To The Top" mode in the game. You’ll create yourself in the game and then start off in the Whalen modified series with a relatively low paying contract and then work your way through the ranks until the Craftsman Truck series comes calling, the NASCAR National (I.e. Busch but not mentioned here because it’s beer and you can’t have alcohol advertising) and then of course the NEXTEL Cup. The idea is solid; however like all EA ‘career’ modes, more is desired. For example, you can only talk to people via email and you receive one contract in the modified series to start. There’s zero negotiation. You play a fantasy NASCAR Nextel Cup league and pick 5 racers – the winner gets a paltry amount of skill points. Some things seem added just to be added and don’t add to the realism or fun of the mode.

If you’ve never played a NASCAR game before, don’t expect the manual to help you. The manual doesn’t even explain the HUD very well. For example it says "fuel gauge" but it’s not really a gauge – instead the light changes color (green for full, red for empty). There’s no mention of the icon below the gas gauge, I’m assuming it’s for tires.

There are so many game options (thankfully all unlocked), it’s overwhelming at first. There’s Fight To The Top and a Race Now option which allows you to get right in a game on the track (and driver) of your choosing. There’s also season mode, which lets you become a driver in any of the four racing series without having to worry about playing for a contract. For the minigame fans, a challenge mode which drops you into various situations from the 2004 season and a speedzone mode where you earn points for passing or blocking are included. Finally the Chase for the Cup mode rounds out the offering. In the Chase, you fast forward to the last 10 races of the season and attempt to win the NEXTEL Cup.

The new feature of NASCAR 06 is the "total team control." Using either the right thumbstick or your Xbox Communicator you can give out commands to your teammates and pit crew. You can also swap cars and take over the driving of another teammate’s vehicle. If your car is damaged beyond repair and cannot continue, you can still finish the race with another teammate’s car.

I really like the idea of the team racing controls; however there are some difficulties in having it work as smooth as possible. For example, the Communicator microphone is very sensitive. It will pick up audio from the TV and interpret that as it sees fit. My pit team seems to think I curse a lot. I’ve also seen the ambient audio from my office become interpreted as a half-wedge turn and a half can of fuel at the next pit stop. There is a sensitivity feature but I continue to have problems.

As far as directing commands to your teammates, I find that the right stick is faster and quicker than using a voice command. Using the stick, you would push up to select the car and then push down to take over that car. Using voice control, you have to hope that saying "top teammate" and "swap car" are understood. When going 190 mph, it’s an extra step that can be the difference between winning and losing.

The first thought I had with the team control was "gimmick," but you’ll have to use it in order to get team reputation points. For example, you’ll need your teammates to all be in the top 10 in order to get a bonus. Unfortunately they never all drive in the top 10, you’ll have to control them in order to do so. You’ll also have to use teamwork to do this: get your guy in front and then order him to block when you swap cars. As you build your team dynamic you receive more prestige points, more prestige leads to bigger contracts, and so on. The idea makes sense, although purists may frown on the whole car swapping idea.

Gameplay itself can be as easy or as difficult as you like. The Forza-esque racing line can be displayed – in addition it changes color to let you know if you should brake or let up on the throttle. You can turn on driving assists or leave them off. The game can be played so that total novices will have no problem hanging with the best of the drivers or that experienced gamers can work their way from the back up to the front. There’s a decent enough challenge here for everyone. When I first started in the Whalen series, I thought the game was almost too easy – I was always in the top 5. When I moved up to the Craftsman Truck, that’s another story. Handling was much more difficult; I was always loose on the track and needed to adjust my car setup. Car setup isn’t that detailed as there are only a few options to choose from, but I think it gives a good representation of what a real NASCAR team goes through. There is a learning curve to each type of car series and it’s not an easy come in first after your first race type of curve either – it is difficult.