With the exception of some drift events, most of the player's time in Need for Speed will be spent rushing around circuits at very high speeds. Although Need for Speed does include some arcade elements and does give the player some rewards for being aggressive, trying to bash one's way through the ranks isn't enough to win most races. This isn't a demolition derby, and the AI drivers will get nasty if pushed.
That said, learning to drive is easier said than done. This brief racing guide outlines the basics of racing in Need for Speed. Practicing these basics should be enough to clinch the pole position in any medium difficulty race.
Friction is the lifeblood of every racer. It is the force of friction that keeps a car moving in the direction the driver wants. When the momentum of a vehicle overcomes friction, the car begins to misbehave, moving in a direction besides that which the driver wants. Racing is mostly about testing the limits of friction. The fastest driver is the one who can keep a car at the limit without going over it.
In Need for Speed: Shift, this means that winning a race requires a careful balance of speed, breaking, and steering input. The inclusion of Drift events may make one think that racing in Need for Speed: Shift can be won by going around corners sideways. In fact, that tends to be rather counter productive. Once a slide has begun, it will require more energy to recover than if the driver had gone around the corner smoothly, and this results a slower lap time. This is something many first-time virtual racers have a hard time believing. Arcade racers and movies tend to glorify the excitement of going around corners sideways, but real racing is about going fast.
Besides being careful around corners, it is also important to remember that accelerating, stopping, and cornering all require friction - and there is only so much to go around. Many players will want to accelerate out of a corner as soon as possible, but this can cause problems because accelerating will force a car into understeer or oversteer. Braking into corners is also a common mistake and it again will cause understeer or oversteer. You can break very hard or accelerate quickly in a straight line, but the more you are turning at the same time, the less you can slow down or speed up. Break heavily in a straight line approaching the corner, and come off the break as you turn in.
In summary, drive as smoothly as possible as quickly as possible.
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