How to Race Through Lapped Traffic in NASCAR 25

Lapped traffic is where real races get decided. You can be two seconds faster than the car you’re chasing and still lose positions because you got hung up behind a lapped car at the worst moment.

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The first thing to know about NASCAR 25’s AI is that lapped cars don’t always behave predictably. They may hold their lane, they may move, they may move at the wrong moment. Don’t assume a lapped car has seen you. Approach with room to spare.

In real NASCAR, lapped cars are supposed to let the leaders through. The AI in NASCAR 25 approximates this, but it’s not perfect. Your best move is to treat every lapped car as a potential obstacle and plan your approach two to three corners early. Which lane is available? Which side of the lapped car will you clear faster?

Lapped traffic can actually work in your favor. If you’re running close to the car you’re chasing, a lapped car between you can break their momentum and give you an opening. Watch for it. When the leader has to check up behind a lapper and you have clean air, you can close ground quickly.

The mistake most players make is trying to force a pass through the middle of a corner because they’re impatient. If a lapped car is slow into the corner, stay behind them and take the straightaway instead. Losing two car lengths into the corner and gaining four on the straight is a good trade.

Also watch your mirrors when you’re lapped. At some point in a longer race you’ll be the slower car. Give the leaders room. Move to the outside in the corners if you can. It keeps the race clean and keeps the AI from getting aggressive on you, which protects your car.

Traffic management is a mental skill more than a driving one. The faster your brain processes what’s in front of you, the better your decisions get.