Look. If you’re booting up your PS5 hoping to see a 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with a Hendrick Motorsports livery sitting in the Brand Central showroom, you're going to be disappointed. It isn't there. For a series that markets itself as the "Real Driving Simulator," the absence of official, current-gen Cup Series cars in Gran Turismo 7 NASCAR circles is a bit of a sore spot. Especially when you remember that Gran Turismo 5 and 6 basically had the whole garage.
But here is the thing. People are still racing "NASCAR" in GT7 every single night.
They aren't doing it with official DLC. They’re doing it with a mix of clever engineering, the most insane livery editor in gaming history, and a weirdly specific car called the Garage RCR Civic—plus some good old-fashioned American muscle. It is a makeshift scene, sure. But honestly? It’s arguably more fun than the rigid, licensed modes we used to have because the community has to work for it.
The Licensing Gap and What's Actually in the Game
Polyphony Digital is picky. Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the series, has a very specific vision for what belongs in his "museum" of automotive history. While the partnership with NASCAR was a headline feature back in 2010, that contract has long since lapsed. Motorsport Games currently holds (or held, depending on the week's legal drama) the exclusive console simulation rights for NASCAR. This creates a massive hurdle for GT7.
So, what do we actually have?
We have the Toyota Camry TRD AJR. This isn't a Cup car. It’s a SEMA award winner. It’s a custom-built beast that looks the part and, with the right tuning, can behave like a stock car on a high-banked oval. Then you’ve got the Gr.3 cars. If you squint at the Ford Mustang Gr.3 or the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Gr.3, you can almost see the silhouette of a modern Next Gen car.
The real magic happens in the Livery Editor.
📖 Related: Solitaire Games Free Online Klondike: What Most People Get Wrong
You’ve got creators like Pepe_RL_88 or Ghost_Rider_Hobby (real users you can find in the Showcase) who spend dozens of hours recreating the exact contingency stickers, the neon numbers, and the sponsor logos for Joey Logano or Kyle Larson. They apply these to the Gr.3 cars or the Ford Mustang GT '15. When twenty of these cars line up at Daytona, the illusion is nearly perfect. It looks like a real Sunday afternoon in Alabama.
The Physics of Ovals in GT7
Racing on an oval in Gran Turismo 7 isn't just about turning left. It’s about the air.
The "Slipstream" setting in GT7 is notoriously strong. If you set it to "Real," you get a sensation of drafting that is surprisingly nuanced. You can feel the "bubble" of air pushing you. You can feel the car get light when you're tucked under someone's bumper. It’s not iRacing, but it’s a hell of a lot more sophisticated than most people give it credit for.
High-Speed Stability and the "Loose" Condition
In NASCAR, "loose" means the back end wants to overtake the front. In GT7, if you take a Gr.3 car to Special Stage Route X or Blue Moon Bay, you have to fight the suspension settings to get that authentic feel.
- Downforce: You have to crank the rear wing down.
- Suspension: You want the right side stiff and the left side a bit more compliant to handle the weight transfer.
- LSD (Limited Slip Differential): This is where the magic happens to keep the power down coming off Turn 4.
Most players make the mistake of making the car too stable. A real stock car is a 3,400-pound brick moving at 200 mph. It should feel dangerous. If you tune your car to be "on rails," you aren't really doing Gran Turismo 7 NASCAR racing; you're just playing a high-speed parade simulator.
Where the Racing Actually Happens
Since there is no "NASCAR Season" in the single-player Cafe Menu, you have to go looking for the action. The Multiplayer Lobbies are the heartbeat of this subculture.
👉 See also: Does Shedletsky Have Kids? What Most People Get Wrong
Look for lobby titles like "NASCAR 80 Laps," "Daytona 500," or "Clean Oval Racing." These rooms usually have strict rules. If you go in there and start dive-bombing or using people as brakes, you will be kicked faster than a pit stop. These guys take it seriously. They use Discord to coordinate. They have "spotters" who watch the race from the lobby stands to call out wrecks.
The tracks are limited, which is a bummer. You really only have:
- Daytona International Speedway: The holy grail.
- Talladega (Wait, no): We don't have Talladega. We use Northern Isle Speedway for that short-track Bristol feel.
- Blue Moon Bay Speedway: The fictional tri-oval that feels like a mix of Pocono and Kansas.
- High Speed Ring: Sorta works if you’re desperate for a classic GT feel.
The Weird "Garage RCR Civic" Phenomenon
This is the most "Gran Turismo" thing ever. There is a car in the game called the Garage RCR Civic. It’s a widebody, mid-engine-converted Honda Civic built for time attack. For some reason, the community decided this car—when tuned to the absolute limit—is one of the best "surrogates" for a stock car. It’s loud, it’s twitchy, and it handles the high banks of Daytona with a weirdly familiar aggression.
It’s hilarious to see a field of Hondas painted like Kyle Busch’s M&M car, but the racing is actually top-tier. It proves that the community cares more about the spirit of the racing than the logo on the grille.
Why Polyphony Might Never Add Official NASCAR Back
The politics of racing licenses are a nightmare. Period.
iRacing recently acquired the NASCAR console license from Motorsport Games. That means if we ever see official Cup Series cars in a game that isn't a dedicated NASCAR title, it will likely be through an iRacing partnership. Sony and Polyphony Digital don't usually play well with others when it comes to sharing the spotlight.
✨ Don't miss: Stalker Survival: How to Handle the Vampire Survivors Green Reaper Without Losing Your Mind
Also, GT7 is a global game. While we Americans love our left turns, the player base in Europe and Japan is much more interested in Super GT, DTM, and Formula 1. Polyphony spends its budget on things like the Bulgari Vision Gran Turismo or obscure 1960s French hatchbacks. It’s a different vibe.
But that doesn't mean NASCAR is dead in GT7. Far from it.
How to Get Started Right Now
If you want to jump in today, don't wait for an update that probably isn't coming.
Go to the Showcase menu. Search for the tag "NASCAR" or "CUP." Download a livery for the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Gr.3 or the Ford Mustang Gr.3. These are your best bets for a realistic experience. Then, head over to the Tuning Shop. Buy the Racing Soft tires. Lower the car as much as the game allows without bottoming out.
Go to an Online Lobby. Don't be "that guy" who ruins the draft. Learn how to "bump draft" without sending the guy in front of you into the SAFER barrier. It takes practice. It takes a delicate touch on the dual-sense triggers (or a wheel, if you’re fancy).
Making the Most of the Experience
To truly replicate Gran Turismo 7 NASCAR, you have to embrace the "Custom Race" tool.
You can set up a 40-car grid (though the game limits you to 20 on track in most modes) with professional-level AI. Set the tire wear to 4x or 6x. This forces you to actually care about pit strategy. Do you take four tires and fuel, or just "splash and go" to keep track position? When the tires get thin at Daytona, the car starts sliding up toward the wall. That is where the real skill comes in.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring GT7 Stock Car Driver
- Build Your Toolset: Buy the Ford Mustang GT '15 and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE '18. These are the most authentic "base" cars for custom NASCAR builds.
- Study the Livery Editor: Don't just slap a number on a door. Use the "Decal" search function to find specific sponsors like Sunoco, Goodyear, and Bosch to make the car look "pro."
- Master the Draft: In GT7, the draft works up to about 0.8 seconds behind the lead car. Watch your speedometer; if it’s climbing while your RPMs stay steady, you’re in the pocket.
- Join a League: Search Reddit or GTPlanet for "GT7 NASCAR Leagues." Racing against AI is fine, but the real drama of a green-white-checker finish only happens with humans.
- Adjust Your Camera: Switch to the "Bumper" or "Cockpit" view. The "Chase Cam" is too stable and kills the sense of speed you need to feel the car’s weight shifts on the banking.
Stop waiting for a DLC pack that might be trapped in licensing purgatory for another five years. The tools are already there. You just have to be willing to build the race yourself. It’s a bit DIY, sure, but that’s always been the secret sauce of the Gran Turismo community. Get on the track, find the draft, and don't lift in the tri-oval.