The PlayStation 3 version of the game includes 12 NASCARsanctioned tracks, among them Daytona International Speedwayand Talladega Superspeedway, and more than 12 select NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, including Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart.[1] All versions feature the Days of Thunder characters Cole Trickle, Rowdy Burns, and Russ Wheeler. The Xbox 360 version does not feature NASCAR branding or drivers, but still features fictional drivers from the film.[2]
Both versions feature a single player season and multiplayer support for up to twelve players.[3] Days of Thunderhas four different game modes: Quick Race, Time Trial, Career, with circuits of varying difficulty, and Derby Mode, where players are encouraged to deal as much damage as they can.[4] Three basic vehicle types are available in the game: Accelerators are lighter cars with increased speed but are more susceptible to damage; Intimidators are heavier and more capable of handling damage, but have a lower top speed; and Regulators have a medium weight, medium top speed, and have average damage resistance.[5]
Sponsorships with racing teams can be earned by playing through the game and completing challenges. When a sponsor is earned a new paint livery is unlocked for the player to customize their stock car with. Players can have up to five different saved cars, and each car can feature a different paint scheme and sponsorship. The sponsorship benefits are cosmetic only. Matthew Newman, Producer at Piranha Games stated that the game "is not a simulation, we chose to let the player unlock all the sponsors and race for whichever sponsor they choose in single player and multi player".